Vientiane, June 27 -- Nestled at the heart of Vientiane, Phat Tich Pagoda has quietly become a cultural beacon for the Vietnamese community in Laos.

More than just a spiritual sanctuary, the pagoda plays a vital role in preserving the Vietnamese language and fostering cultural identity among generations of overseas Vietnamese growing up far from their ancestral homeland.

Since 2016, Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, an overseas Vietnamese in Laos, has been running a free Vietnamese language class at the pagoda. What began as a small initiative to help her child stay connected to their roots has grown into a vibrant learning community.

Over time, other Vietnamese families have joined, sharing the same concern on how to ensure that the Vietnamese la...