The author and Hue National Research Center Nguyen Dac Xuan (on the right)

- Come visit when you have time; I just got a new book…

- I'm glad to hear your voice sounds healthy!

I happily replied to my old friend at "Tho Loc Pavilion" in this way. Happy, because my "old friend" had been hospitalized twice in the past year, to the point of needing difficult surgical intervention. That "old friend" is a famous figure not only in Hue – the researcher and "Hue scholar" Nguyen Dac Xuan. He was born in 1937, and according to the Vietnamese calendar, he is now exactly 90 years old. Despite his age and health, he is still publishing new books, which is truly admirable. This is his 90th book – a special book of his.

Coincidentally, the weather in Hue during the spring of 2026 was sunny and beautiful, so I immediately rode my electric bicycle down to Dap Da to visit a friend.

When I arrived, Nguyen Dac Xuan was sitting upright at the table in the middle of the living room, next to his secretary Hoai Linh who was typing on the computer. Mr. Xuan's eyesight was failing, so for the past few years he had to rely on Hoai Linh, a journalism graduate, to help him read books and newspapers and prepare documents. As soon as I settled down, Nguyen Dac Xuan told Hoai Linh: "Go get that book. The new one..."

The owner of Gac Tho Loc said so because he plans to print three books in 2025. Two months ago, Nguyen Dac Xuan and Vo Ca Dao planned to launch their new book at the Hue Book and Culture Club, but then he had to be hospitalized. As for Hoai Linh's "new book," which he had to carry out with both hands, it's a massive collection that few have been able to create. "The Writers of Hue" - Hong Duc Publishing House, end of 2025

This oversized book (24x24cm), priced at 1 million VND per copy, is 344 pages thick and contains thousands of color photographs, accompanied by captions detailing the origin and circumstances of events and encounters with famous figures. The book is structured into 10 sections: 1 - Homeland, childhood, and family; 2 - Three years of struggle and nine years of resistance; 3 - Writers of Hue; 4 - The path to studying the Nguyen Dynasty and ancient Hue; 5 - With descendants of the last emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty; 6 - Remembering teachers and friends; 7 - Soulmates; 8 - People who have passed through my life; 9 - The Gác Thọ Lộc bookshelf; 10 - Nguyen Dac Xuan - Main works.

In Chapter 4 alone, the section introducing images and characters related to President Ho Chi Minh's childhood in Hue, the author respectfully dedicates 10 pages, not only allowing us to "revisit" two historical sites – house number 112 Mai Thuc Loan Street and Duong No village – where President Ho Chi Minh lived during his childhood, but also helping today's readers "meet" the characters who knew the events of that time, such as Mr. Le Thien (born in 1898), a classmate of Nguyen Sinh Cung at the Dong Ba Franco-Vietnamese School (1907) and Hue National School (1908)…

The author also stated that the book "Uncle Ho's Childhood in Hue" began being compiled in late 1975 and has been reprinted nine times by Nha Tre Publishing House; the images of film crews and foreign researchers who have met with him to learn about the topic demonstrate the appeal and value of the subject he has devoted so much effort to researching…

The years when Nguyen Dac Xuan began his activities in the urban struggle movement and participated in the resistance are depicted through vivid and rare images, such as the photograph of Hue Radio announcer Nguyen Thi To Lien, reading the Call to Hue students to gather and coordinate with the student struggle in Da Nang from March 1966, at the request of Hue students…

The photographs of Nguyen Dac Xuan when he was an official of the Hue City Party Committee meeting with comrades working at the grassroots level in Luong Loc, Thuy Cam (Loc Thuy)... and the scene of reuniting with poet Thanh Hai and writer To Nhuan Vy in Truong Son after the signing of the Paris Agreement evoke memories of the long and arduous days of the resistance war...

Thanks to his extensive research and dedication to Hue, Nguyen Dac Xuan had special encounters with many individuals who contributed to clarifying and enriching the history and culture of the ancient capital over the past century. These include meetings and interviews with descendants of the last Nguyen Dynasty emperors (Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai, Duy Tan, and Bao Dai) both domestically and abroad (France, the United States), which the author dedicates Chapter 5 to introducing to readers. Nguyen Dac Xuan also had the "opportunity" to meet and learn from prominent figures such as Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, musicians Tran Van Khe and Pham Duy, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Xuan Yen (also known as Mrs. Tuan Chi), and many others.

It's impossible to list all the people Nguyen Dac Xuan considered his teachers or close friends. These rich and unparalleled interactions not only enriched Nguyen Dac Xuan's knowledge and resources but also added vibrant details and hidden aspects to the history and culture of Hue over the past half-century. With a "treasure trove" few writers possess, over the past 60 years, Nguyen Dac Xuan has published 90 books, including massive volumes of nearly a thousand pages such as "700 Years of Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Hue," and "Questions and Answers about the Nguyen Dynasty & Ancient Hue"...

As we enter Spring 2026, despite having published a book summarizing his 90-year life, Nguyen Dac Xuan still cherishes new themes, continuing to honor and promote the cultural values ​​of Hue to all regions.

Before bidding farewell at Gác Thọ Lộc, Nguyễn Đắc Xuân handed me a draft document, over 10 pages long, titled: “Hue - Trịnh Công Sơn - Peace , Love & the Human Condition,” which he had just completed with the help of Hoài Linh. The document would be sent to the cultural sector and the city government to gradually prepare the dossier for submission to UNESCO for consideration of Trịnh Công Sơn as a cultural figure, not in his capacity as a musician, but as “An intellectual artist for Peace and Humanity,” values ​​significant to all of humanity…

A bold yet sensible project awaits support from intellectuals and relevant organizations.

Nguyen Khac Phe

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/tac-gia-tac-pham/90-mua-xuan-90-tac-pham-163607.html