The first study excursion on the tour guide profession for the students of the tourism class of the QH 2018 class

On Thursday morning, October 8, 2020, in the mild autumn weather in Hanoi, the students of the two classes 18F3.DL1 and 18F4.DL2 gathered in front of the hall of the French Department to explore the practice. It was the first study excursion of the “Introduction to Tourism” course. The destination was the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first national university.

Ta Duy Bau – Director of Horizon Vietnam Travel and Mr. Doan Viet Hiep – experienced tour guide of Horizon Vietnam Travel – are the experts who taught this practical lesson to the students. Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha and Ms. Do Thanh Thuy, lecturers from the French Department, also accompanied this excursion.

The excursion began at 8:00 a.m. in front of the gate of the French Faculty of Hanoi National University.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha, Mr. Ta Duy Bau and two students from classes 18F3.DL1 and 18F4.DL2 had fun before the excursion

During the 30-minute bus ride, Hiep gave the students an overview of the tasks of a tour guide. To ensure a quality trip, a tour guide should:

– respond to the wishes and expectations of travelers

– take good care of your physical well-being

– ensure their safety and let them discover new things…

In addition, tour guiding also requires skills to captivate tourists, such as: bringing stories to life and maintaining travelers’ motivation throughout the trip.

By 8:30 a.m. everyone was at the attraction. According to Hiep, the tour guide’s job at this moment is to remind tourists to pay attention to the safety of their personal luggage and to inform them about the sightseeing duration (one hour for large tour groups and 45 minutes for small groups of 2-5 people).

When presenting the Temple of Literature, the following order should be adhered to: the Great Gate, the Great Central Gate, the Pavilion of the Star Constellation of Literature, the Fountain of Heavenly Clarity, the Doctors’ Steles, the Temple of Confucius and the College of the Sons of the Nation.

The mandatory information that a tour guide must provide about each building is the history of its founding, the architecture, the purpose of the building and its significance. To make the visit more attractive, the tour guide should recite legends or stories associated with the place. For example, the meaning of the animals (dragon, tiger, turtle, crane…), the story of the carp, which becomes a dragon when it jumps, or the yin-yang symbol in the architecture of the Temple of Literature.

The study excursion received an enthusiastic response from the students. They asked the expert numerous questions: What should the tour guide do if a traveler gets lost? “Why are the steles placed on the backs of turtles?” etc.

The students listened carefully to the presentation about Confucius and the teacher Chu Van An, who was called the “forefather of Vietnamese Confucians.” Both personalities were recognized by UNESCO as “world cultural personalities”.

Participants pay their respects in the Great Ceremonial House

At the end of the tour, Bau summarized the most important points from Hiep’s tour. He also recalled the crucial factor to become a professional French-speaking tour guide: improving French and having in-depth knowledge of Vietnamese history and culture.

By taking part in this interesting practical lesson, the students of the two tourism classes not only nourish their passion, but also collect beautiful memories with the experts, their lecturers and friends.