An international symposium on the life and career of the poet will be held in Hanoi in early August under the chair of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Publications, documentaries, stage acts, musical works and art works focusing on the same topics will be released.
In addition, poem recitals of Truyen Kieu (Tale of Kieu), a literary masterpiece of Nguyen Du, as well as writing and eloquence competitions on his works will be staged.
Nguyen Du memorial site in Tien Dien commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province, which was recognised as a special national relic, will be upgraded and beautified on the occasion.
Celebrations will also take place in Hanoi and Bac Ninh province.
Nguyen Du, also known as To Nhu and Thanh Hien, was born in 1765 to a noble family in Thang Long (now Hanoi). Although the poet spent his life in Hanoi, his family roots stem from the central province of Ha Tinh. He was recognised by the World Peace Council as one of the world’s cultural celebrities in 1965.
His most prominent work is the ‘Tale of Kieu’, an epic written in Nom (old Vietnamese characters). With more than 3,200 verses written in “luc bat” (six-eight), a traditional Vietnamese verse form, ‘Tale of Kieu’ recounts the life of Thuy Kieu, a beautiful and talented young woman who had to sacrifice herself to save her family. The masterpiece has been translated into over 20 foreign languages so far.
