On the third day of every lunar New Year over the past decade, Doctor Phan Ba Hai of Vietnam-Germany Hospital’s Traumatology and Orthopaedics Department and his friends have visited their teacher, Dr. Ngo Van Toan, former head of the Department. They wish their teacher all the best and brief him on what they did in the previous year, and their plans for the future. Medical issues top Hai’s discussions with his teacher and co-workers.

"Sharing medical knowledge and experiences is a great way for us to express our gratitude to our teacher. This is also how he shows his affection for us, by sharing his know-how and helping us improve ourselves.", said Hai. 

Dr. Toan said a teacher’s biggest reward is his students’ advancement in their lives and careers: "As a doctor and teacher, I’m very happy to see my students continue to improve their knowledge and professional skills. It’s very exciting to watch them grow and surpass their teachers in terms of professional experience."

Vietnam’s tradition of observing the third day of the lunar New Year as a Day for Teachers has been preserved and promoted through many generations.

"Nowadays, we can visit our teachers on any day of Tet, not just the third day. We try to stay in touch with our teachers as much as possible and visit them whenever we can. This is simply the biggest joy of teachers like us", said  Nguyen Thu Huong, a lecturer in the Primary Education Department of Hanoi’s Pedagogic University.

The tradition of venerating teachers and respecting morals has been reflected in many Vietnamese proverbs and sayings, including “One word is a teacher, half word is still a teacher” and “One can do nothing without education”, emphasizing Vietnam’s long tradition of honoring teachers and their efforts to educate the people.