Expanding cooperation and promoting literature between Vietnam and China.

Most recently, the first Vietnamese-Chinese and Chinese-Vietnamese Literary Translation Competition was officially launched, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China, and celebrating the Vietnam-China Humanistic Year, while also creating an academic platform for students, international students, and the community who love literature and languages.

The competition was jointly organized by the Consulate General of China in Ho Chi Minh City, Chi Culture Joint Stock Company (Chibooks), in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (HUFLIT), Beijing Foreign Language University (Vietnam Research Center), Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, Chinese Writers Association, and the Chinese Literature Reading Club in Vietnam.

This event kicks off a series of events called the "First Vietnam-China, China-Vietnam Literary Exchange," commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China, and celebrating the Vietnam-China Humanistic Year. It also aims to create an academic platform for students, international students, and the literary and linguistic community. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to enhance literary translation skills, foster a love of literature, and promote the literary image of both countries to a wider audience both domestically and internationally.

The competition is open to Vietnamese students majoring in Chinese language with the ability to translate between Vietnamese and Chinese, Chinese students majoring in Vietnamese, Vietnamese students studying in China, and freelance translators capable of translating between Vietnamese and Chinese (with less than 3 years of translation experience, HSK level 4 or higher, or who have only translated one book).

Contestants will choose to translate representative contemporary poems or short stories from Vietnam and China (no more than 1,000 words) from a list of works provided by the Organizing Committee. Entries will be judged based on the criteria of accuracy, coherence, and literary quality. Outstanding works will be published on the media channels of the university, the organizing unit, the Vietnam Writers Association , and the China Writers Association.

The list of Vietnamese-Chinese translation entries (for Chinese contestants) includes well-known works of Vietnamese literature such as "Green Bamboo" (Nguyen Duy), "Waves" (Xuan Quynh), "A Little Spring" (Thanh Hai), the poem "Walking in the Melaleuca Forest" (Hoai Vu), "The First Leaf" (Hoang Nhuan Cam), "Urbanization Diary" (Mai Van Phan), "Crossing the Stream with Uncle Ho", "Green Lotus Bud" (Son Tung), "Melody of Time" (Trinh Bich Ngan)...

Regarding the Chinese-Vietnamese translation entries (for Vietnamese contestants), they include many poems and literary excerpts from famous contemporary Chinese poets and writers.

The competition brings together reputable writers and translators from Vietnam and China, along with professors and doctors specializing in linguistics, to serve as the judging panel.

Prize structure:

2 First Prizes: 6 million VND each (for each category: Vietnamese-Chinese and Chinese-Vietnamese Translation).

4 second prizes:

Vietnamese-Chinese translation:

▪️ Chinese students majoring in Vietnamese: 2 prizes (4 million VND/prize)

Chinese-Vietnamese translation:

▪️ Vietnamese students majoring in Chinese: 1 prize of 4 million VND

▪️ Vietnamese high school students majoring in Chinese: 1 prize of 3 million VND

4 third prizes:

Vietnamese-Chinese translation:

▪️ Chinese students majoring in Vietnamese: 2 prizes (2 million VND/prize)

Chinese-Vietnamese translation:

▪️ Vietnamese students majoring in Chinese: 1 prize of 2 million VND

▪️ Vietnamese high school students majoring in Chinese: 1 prize of 1 million VND

10 Consolation Prizes:

Vietnamese-Chinese Translation: 5 prizes - 500,000 VND/prize (For Chinese students majoring in Vietnamese)

Chinese-Vietnamese Translation: 5 prizes - 500,000 VND/prize (Vietnamese students majoring in Chinese)

The submission period for entries is expected to be from September 22nd to November 10th, 2025, and the judging period will be from November 10th to 20th, 2025. The awards ceremony is tentatively scheduled for November 21st at HUFLIT and Beijing Foreign Studies University (a hybrid of online and in-person formats).

Translator Nguyen Le Chi (Chibooks) and author Do Quang Tuan Hoang. (Photo: Chibooks)

Over the past period, there has been much connection, exchange, and promotion between Vietnamese and Chinese literature. At the end of 2024, two books from the Vietnamese Culture Book Series, in Chinese editions: “Crossing the Thousand Clouds” (author Do Quang Tuan Hoang, translator Chu Duong) and “Hanoi People, Stories of Eating and Drinking in a Bygone Era” (author Vu The Long, translator Thanh Doa), were launched and introduced to readers by Chibooks and Guangxi Science and Technology Publishing House, with the participation of author Do Quang Tuan Hoang. This also marked the first time a Vietnamese author traveled to China to exchange ideas and introduce their books.

In 2025, translator Nguyen Le Chi and 14 other literary translators from various literary backgrounds were awarded the title "Friend of Chinese Literature" in July. Prior to that, author Do Quang Tuan Hoang and translator Nguyen Le Chi participated in numerous activities promoting Vietnamese literature in cities in Guangxi and Guangdong, China, from May 23rd to 30th.

The competition promises to become a bridge connecting Vietnamese and Chinese literature, while also providing an opportunity for the younger generation to affirm their translation abilities and explore the depth of culture through language.

HA CHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mo-rong-hop-tac-quang-ba-van-hoc-giua-viet-nam-va-trung-quoc-post912340.html