Looking back at 150 years of the journey of "The Tale of Kieu" in Vietnamese

On the morning of July 5, at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, a discussion on “150 years of Kim Van Kieu with many faces” took place on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Tale of Kieu being translated and published in Quoc Ngu script (1875 - 2025), to honor the literary value, language and printing techniques through the work’s one and a half century journey.

The discussion was led by Dr. Quach Thu Nguyet, former Director - Editor-in-Chief of Tre Publishing House, along with collector Du Thanh Khiem and Dr., historical researcher Bui Tran Phuong.

Over the past 150 years, The Tale of Kieu has undergone many reprints, revisions, corrections and illustrations in many forms, demonstrating the richness of approaches and printing aesthetics through the ages.

At the program, collector Du Thanh Khiem recounted his years abroad, collecting each rare version of the Tale of Kieu . Sharing the reason for his perseverance on this challenging journey, he said: “Collecting is holding on to time, I always cherish that. Moreover, each book has its own history and story, we should cherish it.”

Collector Du Thanh Khiem (left) shares about the process of collecting "The Tale of Kieu"

In her role as a historical researcher, Dr. Bui Tran Phuong explains the value of language in the Tale of Kieu , from Sino-Vietnamese characters to Nom and Quoc Ngu characters. That is the anchor point to understand the work, helping the work to be closer to life, especially for young people. According to her, although the characters and details in the Tale of Kieu belong to Thanh Tam Tai Nhan, the spirit that Nguyen Du brings is close and profound to the Vietnamese people.

The event attracted the participation of many young people.

The discussion attracted the participation of many young people. This was not only an academic exchange about the Tale of Kieu but also a cultural space where everyone could feel the artistic flow of the work.

In particular, at the end of the program, there was a Kieu fortune-telling activity, which was enthusiastically participated by many readers. Each participant chose a random verse and analyzed the meaning conveyed by the verse. The activity brought a lot of laughter, helping young people have a new experience with the Tale of Kieu .

Displaying some publications of "Truyen Kieu"

The discussion "150 years of Kim Van Kieu in many aspects" is part of the book exhibition "150 journeys of the Tale of Kieu in Vietnamese" taking place at Ho Chi Minh City Book Street from July 4 to 6.

GRACE

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhin-lai-150-nam-hanh-trinh-truyen-kieu-quoc-ngu-post802572.html