What are the sample brief explanatory essays on Chung cake for Tet? What are the literary competencies required for 8th-grade students in Vietnam?
What are the sample brief explanatory essays on Chung cake for Tet?
8th-grade students can refer to the following sample explanatory essayson Chung cake for Tet:
The Flavor of Traditional Vietnamese New Year
| When peach blossoms bloom vibrantly and the cheerful sound of firecrackers echoes in the air, it signals that the Lunar New Year is near. In this festive picture, the image of square, lush green Chung cake cannot be missed. They encapsulate the essence of heaven and earth and express gratitude to the ancestors. Chung cake is a traditional dish from the time of King Hung, associated with the legend of Prince Lang Lieu. It is said that Lang Lieu offered his father a square cake representing the earth, made from glutinous rice, mung beans, and pork, symbolizing the harmonious philosophy of the Vietnamese people. Since then, Chung cake has become an indispensable symbol in the Tet holiday feast. The ingredients for making Chung cake are simple but carry profound meaning. The fresh green dong leaves symbolize protection and shelter. The fragrant, sticky glutinous rice represents the precious jewel of heaven and earth. The golden mung beans and rich pork nestled within reflect the harmony of nature and humanity. To make a perfect square Chung cake, the wrapper must be skillful and meticulous in each step: from soaking rice, preparing beans, sourcing dong leaves, to tying with strings and boiling the cakes. On New Year's Eve, the whole family gathers around the boiling pot of Chung cake, sharing stories about Tet, creating a cozy and harmonious atmosphere. Once cooked, the dong leaves turn a dark green shade, emitting a distinct aroma. Chung cake is then placed on the ancestral altar as an offering of gratitude for nurturing and a wish for a prosperous and abundant new year. Chung cake is not only a dish but also a cultural symbol, reminding one of roots and national traditions. Despite modern life's changes, Chung cake during Tet still holds an esteemed position in the heart of every Vietnamese, reminding us of the values of kinship and gratitude. |
The Undying Traditional Beauty
| As Tet approaches and spring arrives, every Vietnamese family busily prepares offerings to the ancestors and welcomes the new year. One indispensable dish on the Tet holiday feast is Chung cake, embodying the essence and spirit of the Vietnamese countryside. Chung cake originates from the time of King Hung, linked to the legend of Lang Lieu, the filial prince who offered square Chung cake and round Banh Day, symbolizing earth and sky. The square Chung cake represents the nurturing earth, showing respect for nature, which has provided humans with sustenance and bountiful harvests. Chung cake is made from rustic yet refined ingredients: fragrant, soft white glutinous rice, sweet mung beans, and rich pork. All are wrapped in green dong leaves and tightly bound with bamboo strings. The wrapping requires a deft touch to ensure the cake is square, evenly wrapped, and securely tied. The boiling process, lasting 8 to 12 hours, gives the cakes a dark green color, soft texture, and rich flavor once cooked. Chung cake carries deep meanings of gratitude and family unity. The image of the whole family sitting together wrapping cakes and tending to the boiling pot on New Year's Eve creates a warm and loving atmosphere, preserving traditions across generations. Despite the modernization of society and the emergence of many other cakes, Chung cake retains its spiritual value in Vietnamese life. Chung cake is not just a dish but a symbol of filial piety, abundance, and hope for a happy new year. |
How to Wrap Chung cake
| The Lunar New Year is the most sacred time of the year when every Vietnamese family reunites to welcome a peaceful new year. In this lively atmosphere, the image of green square Chung cake not only adorns the Tet holiday feast but also embodies cultural and traditional beauty. Crafting a perfect Chung cake requires meticulousness and skill, from preparing the ingredients to wrapping and boiling the cakes. The ingredients for Chung cake are humble yet must be selected carefully. First is the glutinous rice — top-quality, uniform grains with a fragrant and sticky quality. The rice is washed, soaked overnight to soften, and tossed with a bit of salt to enhance its flavor. The filling consists of mung beans and pork. Mung beans should be shelled, soaked until soft, and steamed to a tender consistency. Pork is usually selected from the belly or shoulder, with both lean and fat to keep the cake moist. It is marinated with salt and pepper for flavor and aroma. The outer layer is a fresh green dong leaf, cleaned and dried, ready for wrapping. The binding string is made from bamboo, flexible yet sturdy enough to prevent breaking during boiling. Wrapping Chung cake is a folk art showcasing skill and meticulousness. Two dong leaves are laid crosswise, with the glossy green side down to achieve a beautiful color after boiling. A layer of sticky rice is spread evenly on the leaf base, followed by a layer of mung beans and a strip of rich pork at the center. Another layer of mung beans is added and covered with a final layer of rice. The wrapper carefully folds the leaf edges into a perfect square, encompassing the filling. The string must be tightly bound to keep the cake intact during boiling while maintaining its beautiful square shape. Boiling Chung cake is a lengthy process requiring patience. The cakes are neatly arranged in a large pot, submerged in water, and continuously boiled for about 8 to 12 hours. The flame must remain steady, and the water constantly replenished to cook the cakes thoroughly, making them soft, fragrant, and imbued with the dark green hue of the dong leaves. Once cooked, the cakes are rinsed to remove any leaf resin and pressed under a heavy object to expel moisture, ensuring firmness and longevity. The result is sturdy, square Chung cake, wrapped in green leaves with a soft, sticky layer of glutinous rice, savory mung beans, and fragrant pork inside. When cut, the aroma of rice, beans, meat, and dong leaves blend harmoniously, creating a distinctive, unmatched flavor. Chung cake is not only a traditional dish but a symbol of heaven and earth, gratitude, and reunion. The process of making Chung cake is an opportunity for family members to gather, share joy, and preserve beautiful cultural values. Despite modern life's many changes, the Chung cake of Tet remains the soul of spring, a source of pride and love for one's homeland cherished by every Vietnamese person. |
Note: Content is for reference only!
What are the sample brief explanatory essays on Chung cake for Tet? What are the literary competencies required for 8th-grade students in Vietnam? (Image from Internet)
What are the literary competencies required for 8th-grade students in Vietnam?
Under Section IV of the General Education Program in Literature issued in conjunction with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, literary competencies required for 8th-grade students in Vietnam include:
- Recognize and distinguish types of literary texts: stories, poems, plays, essays, and some typical genres for each; analyze the effects of some artistic formal elements within each literary genre; understand both explicit and implicit content of literary texts. Present feelings and thoughts about a literary work and its impact on oneself; initially create some literary products.
- Understand the messages, ideas, emotions, and attitudes of the author in the text; recognize literary scripts, novels, and Nôm poetry, rhythmic and free verse poetry, tragedy, and comedy; the content and form of literary works, literary imagery; identify and analyze the effects of some formal elements and artistic techniques specific to each literary genre (the combination of narrator and character dialogue, perspective, conflict, poetic rules, structure, vocabulary, emotional flow; rhetorical devices such as repetition, wordplay, sarcasm, paradox). Recognize general features of Vietnamese literary history; understand the impact of literature on personal life.
What Vietnamese knowledge do 8th-grade students learn?
Under Section IV of the General Education Program in Literature issued in conjunction with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, the Vietnamese knowledge that 8th-grade students learn includes:
- Definitions of some relatively common idioms and proverbs.
- The semantic nuances of words and the selection of vocabulary.
- Onomatopoeia and onomatopoeic words: characteristics and effects.
- Meanings of some common Sino-Vietnamese elements (e.g., "vô," "hữu") and the meanings of words containing these elements (e.g., "vô tư," "vô hình," "hữu quan," "hữu hạn").
- Particles, interjections: characteristics and functions.
- Independent components in sentences: characteristics and functions.
- Declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory sentences; affirmative and negative sentences: characteristics and functions.
- Rhetorical devices of inversion, rhetorical questions: characteristics and effects.
- Explicit and implicit meanings of sentences.
- Types of paragraphs: deductive, inductive, parallel, composite: characteristics and functions.
- Text types and genres.
+ Narrative texts: essays recounting a journey or social activity.
+ Expressive texts: six-syllable, seven-syllable poetry; paragraphs expressing feelings about a six, seven-syllable poem.
+ Persuasive texts: propositions, arguments, reasoning and evidence; discussions on a societal issue; analyses of a literary work.
+ Informative texts: objective information, subjective opinions and the purpose of texts; explanatory essays explaining a natural phenomenon; a book introduction; petition texts.
- Standard language and regional dialects: function and value.
- Social jargon: function and value.
- Non-verbal communication means: images, data, charts,...
- Detailed Answers for the 2024 Online Contest on Administrative Reform Propaganda in Hai Duong Province
- What does an adjective mean? What is the role of adjectives in Vietnamese language? What is the grade whose Vietnamese language curriculum covers features of adjectives?
- What is the arithmetic sequence formula? What is the grade whose Mathematics curriculum covers arithmetic sequence in Vietnam?
- What do verb and verb phrase mean? What is the grade at which verbs are taught in the Vietnamese language curriculum?
- Vietnam: What are the Top 10 opening greetings for presentations by students? What are the regulations on speaking and listening teaching in Literature?
- What are the guidelines for preparing the lesson "Cổng trường mở ra"? What are the responsibilities of subject teachers in assessing students in Vietnam?
- Vietnam: What are the sample introductions for essays on the work "Hồn Trương Ba Da Hàng Thịt"? What genre does the work "Hồn Trương Ba Da Hàng Thịt" belong to?
- What are guidelines for analysis of the reasonable use of mineral resources in Vietnam? What are regulations on online teaching materials in Vietnam?
- What are the guidelines for writing an introduction for a literary argumentative essay for excellent students? What are the general objectives of Literature curricula in Vietnam?
- What are prohibited items in the exam room of the 2025 High School Graduation Exam in Vietnam?
