What is the Chinese name for the First Full Moon Festival? What Chinese language certificates do candidates in Vietnam hold to be eligible for exemption of foreign language papers in the High School Graduation Exam?
What is the Chinese name for the First Full Moon Festival?
The First Full Moon Festival in Chinese is 元宵节 (Yuánxiāo Jié). This is the full moon day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations, and is typically celebrated with activities such as releasing lanterns, eating sticky rice balls (Nguyên Tiêu cake - 元宵, yuánxiāo), and participating in traditional festivities. The First Full Moon Festival 2025 holds significant cultural importance in East Asian cultures, particularly in Vietnam and China.
According to the Perpetual Calendar of February 2025:
Thus, the First Full Moon Festival 2025 will occur on Wednesday, the 15th of the first lunar month (equivalent to February 12, 2025).
The First Full Moon Festival 2025 marks the conclusion of the Lunar New Year holiday. This is an occasion for people to pray for good fortune, peace, and family reunion. According to Chinese legend, on this day, people light lanterns to ward off evil spirits and show reverence to the deities.
In Vietnamese culture, the First Full Moon Festival also bears significant meaning, serving as an occasion for people to visit pagodas to pray for peace, perform good deeds, and reflect on their origins.
Traditional Activities during the First Full Moon Festival include:
The First Full Moon Festival features many distinctive activities, varying by country and region:
- Releasing Lanterns (放天灯 - Fàng tiāndēng): This is the most common activity where people light and release lanterns into the sky or float lanterns on rivers to pray for good things.
- Eating Nguyên Tiêu Cakes (元宵 - Yuánxiāo) or Sticky Rice Balls (汤圆 - Tāngyuán): These are round cakes symbolizing reunion and happiness.
- Solving Lantern Riddles (猜灯谜 - Cāi dēngmí): People try to solve puzzles written on lanterns, creating a joyful and intellectual atmosphere.
- Lion Dance Festivals (舞狮 - Wǔshī): This lively activity takes place on the streets, symbolizing the driving away of evil spirits and welcoming a prosperous new year.
- Visiting Pagodas for Peace Prayers: Vietnamese people often visit pagodas on this day to wish for a prosperous and peaceful year for themselves and their families.
First Full Moon Festival in Vietnam:
In Vietnam, the First Full Moon Festival is seen as the full moon of the first lunar month, one of the most important full moons of the year. Folk have a saying to emphasize the spiritual significance of this day:
"Offering to Buddha all year round is not as meaningful as the full moon of the first month,"
In major cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, and Hanoi, the First Full Moon Festival features unique activities such as lantern parades, folk art performances, and star avoidance offerings at large pagodas.
The First Full Moon Festival (元宵节 - Yuánxiāo Jié) is not only a traditional Chinese festival but is also preserved and promoted by many Asian countries, including Vietnam. It is an occasion for family gatherings, wishing for peace, and enjoying the beauty of traditional culture.
Note: The information is for reference purposes only!
What is the Chinese name for the First Full Moon Festival? (Image from the Internet)
What Chinese language certificates do candidates in Vietnam hold to be eligible for exemption of foreign language papers in the High School Graduation Exam?
According to Clause 2, Article 39 of the High School Graduation Exam Regulations issued together with Circular 24/2024/TT-BGDDT:
Exemption from foreign language papers in the High School Graduation Exam
...
2. Exemption from the foreign language paper in the high school graduation assessment:
a) Members of the national team participating in the International Olympics for Foreign Languages as decided by the Minister of Education and Training are exempt from the foreign language paper in the high school graduation assessment;
b) Individuals possessing one of the foreign language certificates specified in the appendix of these regulations or foreign language certificates recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training equivalent to the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for Vietnam (level 3 or higher and valid until the exam procedure) are exempt from the foreign language paper in the high school graduation assessment;
c) Individuals eligible for exemption from the foreign language paper but still wish to take the foreign language paper in the graduation exam must use the foreign language paper result to calculate the graduation score.
Referring to Appendix 1 issued together with Circular 24/2024/TT-BGDDT, the Chinese Language certificates eligible for exemption from the foreign language paper in the high school graduation exam 2025 include:
Thus, the Chinese Language certificates eligible for exemption from the foreign language paper in the high school graduation exam 2025 include:
- HSK Level 3
- TOCFL Level 3
In Vietnam, will Foreign Language no longer be a mandatory subject in the high school graduation exam in 2025?
Currently, under Article 3 Circular 15/2020/TT-BGDDT (amended by Clause 1, Article 1 Circular 02/2024/TT-BGDDT):
Article 3. Papers
The exam consists of 5 papers, including: 3 independent papers are Mathematics, Literature, and Foreign Language (English, Russian, French, Chinese, German, Japanese and Korean); 1 paper of natural science (a combination of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology); 1 paper of social science (a combination of History, Geography, and Civic Education) with respect to students of compulsory education program at high school level or the papers of History and Geography with respect to students of continuing education program at high school level.
According to the above regulation, the foreign language paper is one of the three separate and mandatory subjects in the High School Graduation Exam.
However, under Article 3 of the latest High School Graduation Exam Regulations issued together with Circular 24/2024/TT-BGDDT, the papers in the high school graduation exam 2025 are stipulated as follows:
Papers
The exam will consist of 03 exam sessions: 01 session for the Literature paper, 01 session for the Mathematics paper, and 01 session for the elective paper from 02 subjects among the following: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Economic and Legal Studies, Informatics, Industrial-oriented Technology (abbreviated as Industrial Technology), Agriculture-oriented Technology (abbreviated as Agricultural Technology), Foreign Languages (English, Russian, French, Chinese, German, Japanese, and Korean).
Thus, from the High School Graduation Exam 2025, Foreign Language will no longer be a mandatory subject but will become one of the elective subjects. Only Mathematics and Literature will remain as mandatory papers.
