The record-setting vovinam martial arts performance in HCM City. — Photos nhandan.vn

HCM CITY — A vovinam martial arts performance programme featuring 60,000 students from 165 schools in HCM City has officially set a world record for the largest number of participants.

The record was established for 'the vovinam martial arts performance programme combined live and online at schools with the largest number of participating students in Việt Nam and the world'.

During the performance, 5,000 students from 15 schools gathered at Saigon Riverside Park, joined remotely by 55,000 other students from 150 schools across the city.

The event aimed to celebrate the achievements of the HCM City Education and Training sector over the past 50 years. It also marks a significant milestone in the journey of educational innovation in HCM City and the nation as a whole, highlighting the value of physical education and sports within school curricula.

The event aimed to promote and celebrate the achievements of the HCM City Education and Training sector over the past 50 years.

Recognised as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, vovinam was selected for this event due to its alignment with the Vietnamese physique and the core values of Vietnamese martial arts, such as martial spirit, traditional identity and national pride.

Through practicing vovinam and other sports, students are encouraged to develop valuable qualities for adulthood, including solidarity, teamwork, confidence, willpower, discipline and courage. Each well-rounded individual contributes to the emergence of a dynamic Vietnamese generation ready to embrace the era of national development.

A performance titled 'The Quintessence of Vietnamese Martial Arts' by professional athletes during the event.

Director of the HCM City Department of Education and Training Nguyễn Văn Hiếu said: “In celebrating 50 years of educational innovation in HCM City, the Department of Education and Training collaborated with various units and schools to implement the vovinam martial arts performance programme, hoping that students will play a significant role in our journey to set this double record for Việt Nam and the world.

Over time, these joint practices have fostered deeper connections among students, instilled the habit of regular physical activity and nurtured national pride. We also appreciate the cooperation of the Nestlé MILO brand, not only as a sponsor and strategic partner of this programme, but also for its longstanding support of the school sports movement in HCM City.” VNS

Students perform in the shape of the Vietnamese national flag.