The southernmost coastal strip of Central Vietnam is a land of learning and a convergence of culture. In the early 20th century, this area was home to the famous Duc Thanh School in Phan Thiet. On his journey to find a way to save the country, the young Nguyen Tat Thanh (Ho Chi Minh) stopped at the Duc Thanh School to teach and instill patriotic spirit in the youth.
Today, Duc Thanh is one of the branches – a tradition of revolutionary history – of the Ho Chi Minh Museum. Binh Thuan is a tourist destination, a place where the cultures of different regions connect and intertwine. Learning – especially self-study – to enhance knowledge is essential, like the air we breathe, like food and water we drink every day.
The scholar Nguyen Hien Le, a shining example of self-learning, once said: "Being lazy in studying and reading is turning oneself into a despicable ignorant person." There are many shining examples of self-learning leading to talent. President Ho Chi Minh is a brilliant example of extraordinary self-learning; he was knowledgeable in many foreign languages and a brilliant talent. Nguyen Hien Le, Phan Khoi, and others are also exemplary figures, becoming famous writers, journalists, linguists, theorists, translators, and scholars.
Upon returning to Quang Nam, Ut Mui Ne learned of many inspiring examples of self-learning, including the extraordinary story of Phan Khoi's "marriage proposal in French." In Bao An village, Dien Quang commune, Dien Ban district, Quang Nam province, the Phan family is one of the three largest families. The Phan family in Bao An village has five branches; Phan Khoi and Phan Thanh belong to the second branch, 13th generation, sharing a common grandfather, the magistrate Phan Khac Nhu. They are cousins. Phan Khoi is the son of his uncle, and Phan Thanh is the son of his great-uncle; Phan Khoi is 41 years older than Phan Thanh.
Phan Thanh and Miss Le Thi Xuyen from the neighboring village secretly loved each other, but Miss Xuyen's family – also a prestigious one – did not approve of their relationship. One time, his cousin Phan Khoi, a writer and journalist from Saigon, returned to Bao An village to visit his family. Upon learning of their love, he was so upset that he volunteered to go to the neighboring village to meet with Mrs. Cuu, a woman from the neighboring village, to propose marriage for his younger brother using French.
The bride's family admired Phan Khôi's intelligence, wit, and humility. Phan Khôi asked his parents for permission to meet Lê Thị Xuyến in person, and they spoke in French. The beautiful Xuyến, who had already agreed to marry Phan Thanh, readily consented, and the bride's family could not refuse. They became husband and wife after Phan Khôi's French-language marriage proposal. Despite being a good student, he only barely passed the Hương examination in 1906 (the year of the Fire Horse). Weeping bitterly and contemptuously at the corrupt examiners, Phan Khôi painted on the wall: "A pack of fools as stupid as oxen / How can they mourn for me? / Better to be a commoner underfoot / Than a white-collar official on my head."
Phan Khôi, along with many other talented students—a list extending to Phan Thiet, Phan Rang, and Nha Trang—were all pupils of the renowned scholar Tran Quy Cap. Phan Khôi, disgusted by the unfairness of the examination system, did not attend school to continue his studies and instead chose to SELF-STUDY—saying, "Why are exams so depressing?" His fluency in French, which he used to propose marriage for his cousin, was self-taught. Phan Khôi also taught himself Chinese characters, translated the Bible, and created a Western-style philosophy called Logic. He pioneered the application of Logic in Vietnamese writing, beautifying the national language.
Phan Khôi was one of the most proficient translators of Western languages. Phan Khôi, Phan Thanh, and Lê Thị Xuyến were all sons of Quảng province who exemplified self-study, integrity, patriotism, and followed President Ho Chi Minh's call to join the Việt Bắc resistance zone for nine years. Phan Khôi participated in the Đông Du movement initiated by Phan Bội Châu; and was active in the Duy Tân patriotic movement of Phan Chu Trinh in the South Central coastal region. It is regrettable that during the Nhân Văn Giai Phẩm period (1956-1958), Phan Khôi and several others were unjustly accused, though later exonerated. Lê Thị Xuyến is the President of the Vietnam Women's Union.
In 2024, the Education and Training Department of Binh Thuan province, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Binh Thuan province, Phan Thiet University, etc., promoted reading, increased reading culture among young people, and encouraged a spirit of self-learning within the community. The life and career of scholar Phan Khoi (and many others) inspire this spirit of self-learning!
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