The only woman honored by UNESCO

Of the seven Vietnamese people honored by UNESCO as World Cultural Figures, this is the only woman.

She is none other than "Queen of Nom poetry," Ho Xuan Huong.

Ho Xuan Huong was born around the late 18th or early 19th century in Quynh Doi village, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province, and grew up in the North. This allowed her to absorb and blend the cultural essence of both regions.

According to the book Giai Nhan Di Mac, Ho Xuan Huong was the daughter of Ho Phi Dien and his concubine, Ms. Ha. Her house "overlooked West Lake," and later she moved to "Tien Thi village, Tien Tuc commune, Tho Xuong district (now Nha Tho Street)." When she grew up, she built a small house by West Lake, naming it Co Nguyet Duong, to receive literati, and together they would compose and discuss poetry.

Ho Xuan Huong was intelligent, sharp-witted, quick-witted, and exceptionally talented, yet her life was filled with hardships. She poured all her emotions into her poetry. As the poet Xuan Dieu once said, Ho Xuan Huong's poetry is her life, her person within it; it is her soul, her body, her eyes, her hands, her feet, her smile, her tears, her personality and her destiny.

She left behind approximately 150 poems, including the collection "Luu Huong Ky" which contains 24 poems in Chinese characters, 28 poems in Nom script, and about 100 other poems in a folk, free-spirited style. Among them is the extremely famous poem "Floating Rice Cakes," which is included in textbooks.

"The Queen of Nom poetry," Ho Xuan Huong (Illustrative image)

Through numerous studies, experts have assessed Ho Xuan Huong as a unique, modern, and innovative poetic phenomenon in Vietnamese literature. Her poetry is not only a reflection of her own life experiences and the plight of many women during the feudal era, but also the highest embodiment of Vietnamese identity, soul, and character.

Ho Xuan Huong's poetry has not only become a source of pride and affection for the Vietnamese people but has also been widely appreciated and honored by international readers and scholars. As of 2021, her poems have been translated into 13 different languages ​​worldwide .

On November 23, 2021, the UNESCO General Assembly unanimously agreed to honor and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of the poet Ho Xuan Huong. UNESCO recognized Ho Xuan Huong's profound humanistic ideals, centered on the struggle for the right to life for human beings. She is also the only female poet among the seven Vietnamese cultural figures honored by UNESCO.

With her contributions to the arts, Ho Xuan Huong deserves to be recognized as a global cultural figure, a poet of great stature. In our country, her name is used for many schools, streets, and literary awards to express our respect and admiration.

Libra

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ky-tai-dat-viet-nguoi-phu-nu-duy-nhat-duoc-unesco-vinh-danh-ar926192.html