Launching a special edition of "Kim Van Kieu"

On the morning of January 10th, in Hanoi, Nha Nam Publishing House introduced to readers and researchers a special edition of "Kim Van Kieu" by the great poet Nguyen Du, translated and annotated into Vietnamese by scholar Nguyen Van Vinh, along with character illustrations based on the 1923 edition and a previously unpublished collection of Kieu paintings by artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem.

The launch of the special edition of "Kim Van Kieu" and the exhibition of 26 previously unpublished paintings of Kieu were held in the library of Hanoi University of Culture. This was considered a rather special cultural event, attracting a large number of interested readers. Mrs. Nguyen Thu Giang – wife of the late painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem – and Mr. Nguyen Lan Binh – grandson of scholar Nguyen Van Vinh – represented the family at the launch and interacted with readers.

Nha Nam's 2025 special edition of "Kim Van Kieu".

"The Tale of Kieu" is both a literary masterpiece and a unique cultural phenomenon, possessing enduring vitality in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. "The Tale of Kieu" has a rich, complex, and fruitful history of printing, transcription, translation, annotation, commentary, reception, research, and evaluation.

Initially, "The Tale of Kieu" was printed in Nôm script. Later, researchers and scholars transcribed the Nôm script into the Quốc ngữ (modern Vietnamese) script and undertook meticulous research, annotation, and commentary on the Tale of Kieu.

"Poème Kim Vân Kiều truyện," transcribed and translated into Vietnamese by Trương Vĩnh Ký and printed in 1875, was the first Vietnamese-language edition of the Tale of Kiều in our country. The work printed in Vietnamese afterward was "Kim Vân Kiều," translated and annotated by Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh in 1913, and reprinted with revisions in 1915, 1923, and 1933.

The 2025 edition of "Kim Van Kieu" published by Nha Nam is a reprint based on the version of "Kim Van Kieu" translated and annotated by Nguyen Van Vinh into the national script, printed for the 7th time in 1923 by Ich Ky publishing house (58 Hang Giay Street, Hanoi).

Professor Tran Dinh Su, artist Luong Xuan Doan, and Doctor of Literature Mai Anh Tuan at the exchange and launch of the special edition of "Kim Van Kieu".

According to Professor Tran Dinh Su, the Vietnamese translation of "Kim Van Kieu" by Nguyen Van Vinh was the first Vietnamese edition printed in the North, and one of the earliest and most important versions of the Tale of Kieu. It helps today's readers better understand the modernization process of Vietnamese literature, as well as the role of intellectuals during that transitional period in popularizing the Vietnamese script and fostering a love for classical literature and the national language. Scholar Nguyen Van Vinh also translated "Kim Van Kieu" into French, and his edition serves as a reliable basis for the later internationalization of "The Tale of Kieu"...

In addition, the previously unpublished collection of 26 paintings of Kieu by the renowned painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922-2016) has given this edition of "Kim Van Kieu," translated and annotated by scholar Nguyen Van Vinh, a special weight as a meeting point of literature, the history of the Vietnamese language, and fine arts.

Painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem is one of the leading figures in modern Vietnamese art. Throughout his artistic career, Nguyen Tu Nghiem dedicated many years to creating paintings of the Tale of Kieu with passion, inspiration, and deep reflection. He studied the Tale of Kieu from its Nôm script version, absorbing and creating his paintings with diligence and quiet dedication. He viewed this as a space for dialogue between artistic tradition, modern spirit, and a unique, distinctive visual language.

A notable feature of Nguyen Tu Nghiem's ​​paintings of Kieu is that they do not directly illustrate the plot, but instead explore the psychological depth, personality, and emotions of each character, situation, and event in "The Tale of Kieu".

According to artist Luong Xuan Doan, President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, Nguyen Tu Nghiem's ​​series of paintings depicting the Tale of Kieu is special because it is not an illustration of "The Tale of Kieu," but rather a very lighthearted expression, like the voice of Nguyen Du himself. It embodies the essence of Vietnamese culture, the Vietnamese spirit, and Vietnamese culture. He always applies color first, then brushstrokes, and his paintings contain elements that even those in the art world may not fully understand. Nguyen Tu Nghiem's ​​paintings are valuable because they are unlike anything else, impossible to imitate, and cannot be copied…

Some paintings of the Tale of Kieu by the renowned painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem.

Mrs. Nguyen Thu Giang, wife of the renowned painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem, shared: “For Mr. Nghiem, pigments were paramount in painting, and he wielded his brush on those pigments. When he painted the Tale of Kieu, I hadn't yet moved in with him. Later, I often saw him bring out this set of paintings, intending to revise or continue painting, but he would always tear them up after finishing. He never gave them to anyone. The 26 paintings unveiled today are not the complete set; there are still 10 more, and at a more appropriate time, I will have them published…”

The paintings of Kieu by the renowned artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem published this time are all painted on Do paper using graphite, pigments, or oil paints. The publication of these Kieu paintings in Nha Nam's 2025 edition of "Kim Van Kieu" allows readers to approach the Tale of Kieu from the unique emotions and perspectives of the talented artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Tieu-diem-van-hoa/ra-mat-an-ban-dac-biet-kim-van-kieu-i793743/