'Legend of Con Dao' Book Fair connects past, present and future

(HMC) – On the evening of October 4, the Con Dao Book Festival with the theme “Legend of Con Dao” and the art program “Poems that shape the country” officially opened at Con Dao Special Zone, Ho Chi Minh City. This is an event to welcome the 1st Congress of Ho Chi Minh City Delegates, term 2025 - 2030; Celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Publishing, Printing and Book Distribution Industry of Vietnam (October 10, 1952 - October 10, 2025).

Attending the program on the Central side were: former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Truong My Hoa; President of the Vietnam Publishing Association Pham Minh Tuan; Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association Tran Trong Dung; Deputy Director of the Department of Publishing, Printing and Distribution of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Bao.

On the side of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), there were: Most Venerable Thich Le Trang - Vice President of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha; Most Venerable Thich Thien Duyen - Vice Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City; Most Venerable Thich Thanh Phong - Vice President of the Executive Council, Permanent Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ho Chi Minh City.

On the side of Ho Chi Minh City leaders, there were: Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Phuoc Loc; Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Committee of the City Party Committee Duong Anh Duc; Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council Nguyen Truong Nhat Phuong; Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Tran Thi Dieu Thuy; Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Tran The Thuan.

On the side of Con Dao Special Zone, there was Standing Committee member of the City Party Committee, Secretary of Con Dao Special Zone Le Hoang Hai.

Delegates perform the opening ceremony of Con Dao Book Fair

With representatives of the City Party Committee; City Party Committee Office, City People's Council Office, City People's Committee Office, Vietnam Publishing Association, Executive Board of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha HCMC; representatives of former political prisoners; relatives of martyrs imprisoned and sacrificed in Con Dao; representatives of departments, branches, and accompanying units; representatives of the Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee - Fatherland Front Committee of Con Dao Special Zone; Command Board of Defense Zone 6 - Ho Chi Minh City Command; publishers, press agencies, experts, interpreters and a large number of people in Con Dao Special Zone.

Contribute to preserving the value of the special national relic Con Dao

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City Tran The Thuan emphasized: The Book Fair is not only a place to display and introduce books and valuable documents, but also a profound cultural activity, aiming to promote revolutionary historical values, and enhance reading culture among the people. This is an activity to continue to concretize Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW of the 11th Party Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people, as well as Resolution No. 162/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly on the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the period 2025-2035. Thereby, contributing to improving people's knowledge, enjoying spiritual and cultural products, towards the title of "World Book Capital" recognized by UNESCO.

Some pictures of the exhibition spaces at Con Dao Book Fair

“Con Dao - a sacred island with immortal legends such as General Secretary Le Hong Phong; Patriot Nguyen An Ninh, Heroic Martyr Vo Thi Sau and thousands of revolutionary soldiers who bravely faced the enemy. Today's book fair honors those steadfast and indomitable examples through areas displaying books about President Ho Chi Minh, the city's socio-economic achievements in the 2020 - 2025 term, legendary figures of Con Dao and outstanding publications. Activities to exchange authors and works, spread reading sessions at schools, introduce Nguyen An Ninh Digital Library and arouse a passion for reading, especially in the young generation, contribute to perfecting personality and building new people" - Mr. Tran The Thuan said.

According to the Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City, the Book Fair is a bridge between the past, present and future, promoting the image of Con Dao, attracting tourists, stimulating tourism, promoting economic - cultural - social development. Thereby, Mr. Tran The Thuan called on units, people and tourists to actively participate, turning reading culture into a daily habit, contributing to the preservation of this special national relic.

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Some performances in the Art Program "Poems that shape the country"

Many meaningful activities

The book fair is organized with many display areas according to the following themes: History, land and people of Con Dao; Valuable works and documents on Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics and style; Achievements in socio-economic development of Ho Chi Minh City in the period 2020-2025.

Readers can access thousands of new books in a variety of fields through QR codes of publishing units.

Earlier, in the afternoon of the same day, the delegation attended incense offering activities at Hang Keo Cemetery, Hang Duong Cemetery, Con Dao Temple, and the 914 Pier Memorial Stele...

Delegates offered incense and observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs.

Delegates lit candles to pay tribute to heroic martyrs at the historic Pier 914 - Con Dao

At the same time, from October 3 to October 4, at many schools in Con Dao, a series of "reading sessions" activities with familiar and attractive topics for students such as: "Talking with the future - reading books with me", "Letter to the future" and "My dream" were also organized.

In particular, on the morning of October 5, former Vice President Truong My Hoa and delegates from former prisoners of Con Dao will participate in an author exchange, introducing the work “Son of Saigon in the 'hell on earth' Con Dao” at the main stage of the entrance to Ton Duc Thang Street. The program is an opportunity to review the stories, memories, will and indomitable spirit of legendary characters in the "hell on earth".

On this occasion, the Organizing Committee also introduced the Nguyen An Ninh Digital Library - Southern Special Topic; presented the Bookcase project and developed reading culture to units in Con Dao; press agencies, publishers, and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha of Ho Chi Minh City also presented many meaningful gifts to people in Con Dao Special Zone.

Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/hoi-sach-huyen-thoai-con-dao-ket-noi-qua-khu-hien-tai-va-tuong-lai-1019699.html