Scholar Huu Ngoc - the man who 'sketched a portrait of Vietnamese culture' passed away

Cultural researcher Huu Ngoc passed away at 7:10 p.m. on May 2 in Hanoi , at the age of 107. The funeral will take place on May 5 at the Funeral Home of Hospital 198, Hanoi.

He is a great scholar, journalist, and cultural figure, making important contributions to promoting and introducing Vietnamese culture in general and the capital Hanoi in particular to international friends.

He was born in 1918 in Hanoi, his hometown is Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh .

Being fluent in many foreign languages such as French, English, German, and Chinese, he has diligently written and compiled more than 30 valuable books on Vietnamese culture in English and French.

In 2020, at the age of 102, he continued to work enthusiastically and released the book "Cao Thom Lan Gioi" consisting of 2 volumes, nearly 1,000 pages thick.

The book series "Cáo hương lan giổi" was printed when the author was 102 years old. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

The book series introduces the lives and thoughts of more than 180 famous people from the East and West, past and present, spanning many fields: religion, culture, philosophy, science, literature, art, ethics, sociology, history, psychology, political science... representing the cultures of humanity.

Culturalist Huu Ngoc is also the translator of many foreign literary and cultural works from English and French into Vietnamese, the most prominent of which is the classic book "Grimm's Fairy Tales."

Some of his typical cultural works include “Sketch of French Cultural Portrait,” “A Piece of Nordic Sky,” “Swedish Culture,” “American Cultural Profile,” “Sketch of Vietnamese Cultural Portrait,” and “Discovery of Vietnamese Culture.”

Culturalist Huu Ngoc has held many positions as Editor-in-Chief of foreign newspapers, including the French-language newspaper L'Étincelle (Ray of Light), the first newspaper after the August Revolution in 1945, and also the first propaganda newspaper during the resistance war against France. In addition, he was Editor-in-Chief of several foreign newspapers such as "Vietnam Advances" (British-French-Esperanto) and "Vietnam Studies" (British-French).

He also held the role of Director of Foreign Language Publishing House for many years.

With his great contributions, he was awarded the Medal of Merit and the Medal of Independence by the State; the Swedish Government awarded the Legion of Honor; the French Government awarded the Academic Palm Medal, the 2006 Vietnam Book Gold Prize, the 2015 Vietnam Book Bronze Prize, the 2017 Vietnam National Book Prize, the 2008 GADIF Prize of the Group of Embassies, Delegations and Francophone Organizations in Vietnam, the 2015 National First Prize for Foreign Information, and the 2017 Bui Xuan Phai Grand Prize for Love of Hanoi.

The funeral service for Huu Ngoc Cultural House will be held at 1:00 p.m. on May 5 at the Funeral Home of Hospital 198, 58 Tran Binh. The memorial service and funeral will take place at 2:00 p.m. the same day./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoc-gia-huu-ngoc-nguoi-phac-thao-chan-dung-van-hoa-viet-nam-qua-doi-post1036501.vnp