A day of The Tale of Kieu in Ancient Capital

Researcher Tran Dinh Son (right) introducing young visitors to his collection of ancient Kieu editions

The event, organized by the Huong River Ancient Ceramics Museum on October 26th at Lan Vien Co Tich 2 (94-96-98 Bach Dang Street, Phu Xuan Ward), brought together numerous experts, scholars, and artists.

The program was held to commemorate the 260th birth anniversary of the great poet Nguyen Du and the 150th anniversary of the engraved printing of The Tale of Kieu.

The highlight of the event was a seminar featuring in-depth discussions by researchers on The Tale of Kieu.

According to Dr. Thai Kim Lan, The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du belongs to the Vietnamese literary tradition of works with “happy endings”, reflecting both the spirit of its time and the author’s own philosophical outlook.

Moreover, the core ideas of the work, particularly those rooted in Buddhist philosophy, were incorporated by Nguyen Du in a subtle and masterful way, so much so that readers never feel confronted with abstract theorizing. The philosophical reflections are poeticized, humanized, and transformed into exquisite verses imbued with the harmony of “the Way in life and life in the Way”, lingering on readers’ tongues and resonating through generations.

On the sidelines of the seminar, researcher Tran Dinh Son showcased dozens of ancient Kieu editions he has collected over many decades. The program also featured performances of traditional Vietnamese music inspired by verses from The Tale of Kieu.