As part of his official visit to Vietnam, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, visited the Temple of Literature and Hoa Lo Prison, two historical monuments in Hanoi, on March 26.

At the Temple of Literature, which was closely associated with education in Vietnam during the feudal era, the Speaker and his delegation were briefed on the site's history.

The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, visits the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on  March 26. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The Finnish delegation got to know the learning tradition of the Vietnamese people with great respect for the educators.

The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament also left his impressions in the Book of Honour of the site. He was also presented with a publication containing detailed information about the relic.

The Finnish parliamentary delegation also toured Hoa Lo prison, where it was explained the heroic and tireless efforts of Vietnamese revolutionaries in the struggle for the nation's freedom and sovereignty.

The Temple of Literature was built in the early 11th century under the Ly dynasty after Thang Long (former name of Hanoi) was chosen as the capital of the ancient Dai Viet (today's Vietnam).

It was the first university in the country where the brightest students in Dai Viet were trained to become court dignitaries. It was also where royal and elite families sent their children for education.

The Temple of Literature is one of Hanoi's most iconic destinations, attracting thousands of visitors every year.

Meanwhile, Hoa Lo Prison, one of the largest penitentiaries built by the French colonial regime in Indochina in 1896, incarcerated thousands of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers and political activists who fought for national independence.

Despite all the brutalities and tortures of the prison, the Vietnamese revolutionary activists held on to their patriotism and remained resilient to turn the prison into a school to nurture and develop their political stance.

Hoa Lo Prison is now a historical site that aims to educate all people, especially the younger generations of Hanoi, about history, loss and suffering.  

Jussi and his companions also visited Tan Thoi Dai (New Era) School, an educational institution developed through the joint efforts of Vietnam and Finland. It is the first school in Hanoi to use Finnish curricula in its teaching.

On March 26, the Finnish delegates attended the opening ceremony of the new Consulate General under the Finnish Embassy in Vietnam.

Evidence of strong Vietnam-Finland relations

During his visit to Vietnam on 24-26 March, Jussi also paid tribute to Ho Chi Minh at the mausoleum of the late president and attended the inauguration of the Thang Long - Bac Ninh waste incineration plant using Finnish technology.

He also had meetings with Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister, and Truong Thi Mai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of its Organisation Commission.

This is Jussi's first visit to a country outside Europe since taking office at the end of June 2023. Vietnam is also the only country in the region to have welcomed the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament and his entourage.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, this fact proves Vietnam's special position in Finland's foreign policy and shows the good relationship between the two countries' parliaments.

During the talks, the Finnish politician and Vietnamese high-ranking officials highly appreciated the achievements of the two countries. They agreed to find new ways to further develop and improve bilateral relations.

Jussi and Vietnamese officials also agreed to increase high-level official meetings and exchanges to enhance political trust and cooperation between the two sides for peace, stability and sustainable growth.

They also agreed that Vietnam and Finland will continue to support each other in all multilateral activities, increase exchanges between young parliamentarians, share experiences to improve the performance of the two legislative bodies, and better monitor agreements signed between the two countries.

The Finnish official and his Vietnamese counterparts also hoped to provide maximum support to the business communities and government agencies of the two countries to increase two-way trade and make the most of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.