Abstract

This study explores the ways in which the cultural identity of Vietnam's Northern Delta is integrated into primary-level art education through three data sources: analysis of Art textbooks (Grades 1–5), pedagogical experiments with sample lessons, and interviews with teachers. Employing a qualitative and practice-based methodology, the study examines the symbolic depth, contextual relevance, and embodied affective engagement of learners. Findings indicate that while regional cultural identity is minimally present in current textbooks, it holds strong potential for reactivation through experiential and memory-based teaching. Based on these insights, the article proposes an approach grounded in affective, embodied pedagogy that repositions cultural symbols not only as knowledge units but rather as affective memory fields that nurture student identity. The study contributes a situated voice to global discussions on arts education and advocates for context-responsive curricula grounded in local cultural spaces within postmodern educational paradigms.