17th Vietnam Poetry Day marked in Bac Giang hinh anh 1A ceremony marking the 17th Vietnam Poetry Day was held in Xuong Giang Victory historical relic in the northern province of Bac Giang on February 19 (Photo: VNA)
 
Hanoi (VNA) – A ceremony marking the 17th Vietnam Poetry Day was held in Xuong Giang Victory historical relic in the northern province of Bac Giang on February 19.

The event was attended by nearly 200 international writers, poets and translators from 46 countries and territories.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong said Bac Giang was the hometown of many well-known Vietnamese writers and poets, including Than Nhan Trung, Nguyen Khac Nhu, Hoang Cam and Do Chu.

He voiced his hope that more local and foreign writers and poets would come to the province to explore people, landscape and culture.

Many works of Vietnam and foreign poets were recited at the event, including a poem entitled “So it seems, at Ha Long Bay” penned by American poet Gjeke Marinaj.

The Vietnam Poetry Day, from February 16-21 in Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Bac Giang provinces, is being held along with the 4th International Conference on Vietnamese Literature Promotion and the 2nd International Poem Festival.

Since its debut in 2003, it has been the biggest poetry festival in the country and become a national tradition, taking place in spring each year.

Starting out as an initiative of the Vietnam Writers' Association, Poetry Day has been held in many provinces and cities to honour an art form which has been an integral part of Vietnamese culture for thousands of years. –VNA
VNA