A person who has lived through a century of Vietnamese culture and history.

With over 80 years of writing, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu has produced numerous monumental works, including 60 books on Vietnamese history and geography, the result of a lifetime spent traversing centuries with his heart.

Director General of VNA Vu Viet Trang welcomes researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu (106 years old) - a witness of two centuries, a scholar who dedicated his life to Vietnamese culture, history, and knowledge. Photo: Pham Tuan Anh/VNA

Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu, who has "lived through a century" with Vietnamese culture and history, has become the Inspirational Ambassador of the 2026 Cricket Children's Award.

Considered a "towering figure" of national culture, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu is a scholar who has made significant contributions to Vietnamese historiography with his valuable research works. He is a great source of inspiration for everyone, especially the younger generation, with his boundless love of knowledge, lifelong learning spirit, and persistent desire to contribute to national culture.

A passionate love for books and history.

Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu was born in 1920 in Nghe An , a region renowned for its tradition of studiousness and patriotism.

Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu's love for history was ignited in his elementary school years, when he read books about famous figures who fought against the French, such as King Ham Nghi, King Duy Tan, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang Hoa Tham, and Thai Phien.

In particular, I was fascinated by reading the book " A Brief History of Vietnam," with its glorious achievements of Ngo Quyen, Ly Thuong Kiet, Tran Hung Dao, Le Loi, and others.

Through these works, he hoped that after pursuing higher education, he would delve deeper into the history of his country and write books about the history and geography of the dynasties and regions of Vietnam.

Mr. Nguyen Thien Thuat, Editor-in-Chief of the Sports and Culture Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee of the 7th Cricket Children's Award, presented the Certificate of "Ambassador of Inspiration of the 7th Cricket Children's Award" to researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu (106 years old) - a witness of two centuries, a scholar who dedicated his life to Vietnamese culture, history, and knowledge. Photo: Hoang Hieu - VNA

Coming from a less-than-well-off family, education was the only way to change his life, so he had to accept various jobs to earn money for tuition. Thanks to his basic education, fluency in foreign languages, and passion for history, Mr. Tư boldly wrote his first book at the age of 23 about the famous general Nguyễn Xí.

This slim book was part of the popular book series published by Tan Dan Publishing House ( Hanoi ), known as a propaganda book. Seeing the book being sold widely, he became confident in his ability to write books.

This first novel also motivated him to continue writing and publishing novels such as "Revenge for Husband, Debt to Nation," "Source of Life," and "Stepmother and Stepchild," which attracted attention from the literary circles of the time.

Later, after settling in the South Central region, he compiled and published books on history and geography such as "The Landscape of Phu Yen," "The Landscape of Ninh Thuan," "The Landscape of Quang Tri," and "Geography of Khanh Hoa" ...

After the country was reunified, Nguyen Dinh Tu and his family moved to Ho Chi Minh City to live. At nearly 60 years old, due to the family's limited financial resources, he had to take up bicycle repair to make a living.

The novel * The Rebellion of the Twelve Warlords* was written by him whenever he had no visitors. The rebellion of the twelve warlords took place over a thousand years ago, during a time when historical records were scarce, so when writing it, he had to make every effort to choose simple words and phrases that suited the language of the time.

In addition to historical elements, he also incorporated cultural aspects, festivals, and customs of the localities where the 12 warlords ruled, making his works more vivid and engaging.

When his children had grown up and he was no longer burdened by the financial responsibilities of providing for his family, he abandoned his bicycle repair business to focus on research and produce additional works: "Inner City Streets of Ho Chi Minh City," "Dictionary of Administrative Place Names of Southern Vietnam," "Biographies and Deeds of Southern Vietnamese Han Scholars," "The French Colonial Regime in Southern Vietnam (1859-1954)," "Administrative Geography of Southern Provinces during the French Colonial Period (1859-1954)," "Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City: A Long Journey of History (1698-2020)," and his autobiography "Passing Through a Hundred Years …"

A shining example of lifelong work and learning.

In 1996, historian Nguyen Dinh Tu was a Standing Member of the Council for Naming and Renaming Streets in Ho Chi Minh City. In this role, he proposed naming two streets along the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal after two of Vietnam's islands and seas: Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

In 2017, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Historiography by the Vietnam Historical Science Association.

Over more than 80 years of writing, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu has produced numerous monumental works, comprising approximately 60 books on Vietnamese history and geography. This is the result of a lifetime of quiet dedication and perseverance throughout the centuries, fueled by a passionate academic heart.

On the afternoon of May 22, 2026, in Hanoi, the Sports and Culture Newspaper (Vietnam News Agency) held the 7th Cricket Children's Award Ceremony – 2026, honoring works and artistic creations for children with humanistic value and positive impact. In the photo: Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu (106 years old) – a witness to two centuries, a scholar who dedicated his life to Vietnamese culture, history, and knowledge – attended the Award Ceremony. Photo: Hoang Hieu/VNA

A lifetime is also a lifetime of writing, a lifetime of chronicling history connecting two centuries. His writings are rare and valuable data, vivid memories, the very breath of a land and a people through periods of ups and downs.

Most notable are the book series Gia Dinh-Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City - A Long Journey of History and the Administrative Geography of the Southern Provinces.

In particular, he completed his monumental work, the Dictionary of Administrative Place Names of Southern Vietnam, when he was over 90 years old.

With his persistent academic journey and numerous extensive research works on history and culture, he has been recognized with many prestigious awards such as the Tran Van Giau Award in 2023, and two National Book Awards for his monumental research works on the history and culture of Southern Vietnam, including the First National Book Award in 2018 for the book series " The French Colonial Regime in Southern Vietnam (1859-1954)" and the National Book Award in 2024 for the two-volume book series "Gia Dinh-Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City: A Long Journey of History (1698-2020)" .

In 2024, at the age of 104, he was honored as an Outstanding Citizen of Ho Chi Minh City for his exceptional contributions to the country's historical archives.

In 2026, at the age of 106, he will become the Inspirational Ambassador for the 2026 Cricket Children's Award.

Despite his advanced age, researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu remains a role model of diligent work, spending his days poring over documents and using his computer, typing out drafts for new research topics himself.

It is often said that old age is a time for rest, but for him, age seems to be just a number. In his soul, the flame of knowledge still burns brightly, urging him to continue his endless research journey.

Behind that habit lies strict self-discipline – an unwavering spirit of dedication to the country and to future generations. In him, one clearly sees the image of a scholar who considers knowledge the meaning of life, and writing books as his very breath.

Every page he writes is the result of intellectual labor, a testament to his extraordinary willpower and profound love for his homeland. He continues to work on multi-volume sets, for example, the Dictionary of Administrative Place Names of Central Vietnam, with Volume 1 covering Thanh Hoa already completed, and volumes on Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien also nearing completion, projected to contain over 1,500 printed pages.

Researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu said that one of the reasons he accepted the role of Inspirational Ambassador for the 2026 Cricket Children's Award was to find more opportunities to share his research experience and working methods with the younger generation.

He said that it would be wonderful if pioneering researchers could "package their professional know-how" and, through digital transformation, pass it on to succeeding generations, thus shortening the time it takes to learn the trade.

According to "Ambassador Cricket" Nguyen Dinh Tu, there are many ways to approach history without necessarily becoming a history researcher. He shared: "A young person, when growing up, if they grasp the fundamentals of their country's historical context and historical sources, will certainly be much more confident in their behavior and work. If they become artists, writers, scientists, etc., their historical foundation will help them add more uniqueness to their works or achievements."

The book "Yersin - The Song of the Whale" by artist Ta Huy Long this year is a good example of how history can be applied to creative works.

With the Cricket Children's Award, the support of researcher Nguyen Dinh Tu not only has symbolic significance but also contributes to spreading a deeper love of knowledge, reading culture, and enduring creativity to today's young generation.

The image of a 106-year-old scholar still diligently reading, writing, and deeply concerned with national culture reminds each of us of the value of the past, and of our responsibility to the history and future of our nation.

Source: https://znews.vn/nguoi-di-qua-tram-nam-with-van-hoa-lich-su-viet-post1654736.html