Culture - Sports

Symposium looks into Poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s life, career

A international symposium was held in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on June 29 to discuss the life and career of UNESCO-recognised cultural celebrity Nguyen Dinh Chieu, a great poet, an enthusiastic teacher and a moral doctor.
Symposium looks into Poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s life, career ảnh 1UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam Christian Manhart addresses the event (Photo: VNA)
Ben Tre (VNA) – A international symposium was held in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on June 29 todiscuss the life and career of UNESCO-recognised cultural celebrity Nguyen DinhChieu, a great poet, an enthusiastic teacher and a moral doctor.

According to UNESCO ChiefRepresentative in Vietnam Christian Manhart, during the UNESCO’s 41st General Assemblyin Paris in November 2021, 193 members of the agency approved a resolution to celebratethe Vietnamese poet’s birthday in 2022.

The representative explained thatthe General Assembly made this decision because Nguyen Dinh Chieu was anoutstanding figure, one of the most honoured Vietnamese poets whose works weretranslated into many languages.

According to Associate Prof. Dr. Pham LanOanh, Vice Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts, poetNguyen Dinh Chieu had greatly influenced the lifestyle of people in Ben Tre inparticular and the southern region in general over the past nearly 200 years.She gave a number of proposals to preserve and promote the cultural values leftby the celebrity, including the strengthening of teaching and studying of and the digitalisation of his works.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Ben TreLe Duc Tho said that Nguyen Dinh Chieu, with his talents and strong will toovercome adversities, is a mirror in morality, patriotism and resilience forgenerations of Ben Tre and the southern region in general.

Nguyen Dinh Chieu, also known as teacherChieu, Trong Phu and Hoi Trai, (1822 – 1888) was born in Binh Duong district,Gia Dinh province (now District 1, Ho Chi Minh City).

He was a patriotic teacher, physician and poet of the south of Vietnam in thesecond half of the 19th century.

He is best known for his most prominent epic “Luc Van Tien” (The Tale of LucVan Tien), written in “nom” (the old Chinese-based Vietnamese script) in 1850s.The work has been translated into multiple languages, including French, Englishand Japanese./.
VNA
#Ben Tre #Nguyen Dinh Chieu #Vietnamese poet #UNESCO’s 41st General Assembly #Christian Manhart #Vietnam #Vietnam news #Vietnam News Agency
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

UNESCO honouring of poets shows recognition of Vietnam’s cultural values

UNESCO honouring of poets shows recognition of Vietnam’s cultural values

The UNESCO decision to, together with Vietnam, commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of classical poets Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Ho Xuan Huong demonstrates this organisation and the international community’s recognition of the country’s cultural and ethical values, as well as the traditional fondness for learning and the thought on gender equality and liberation of women.

See more

The women’s team final in the épée event between two Vietnamese teams (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam tops Southeast Asian Fencing Championships with 27 medals

Vietnam topped the medal table at the Southeast Asian Fencing Championships 2026 with 27 medals, including nine golds, three silvers and 15 bronzes, as the tournament wrapped up in the northern city of Quang Ninh on October 23 after nearly a week of competition.

Singer Dang Duong is among the artists featured in the national concert Proud to Be Vietnamese 2026. (Photo of the organisers)

Concert to celebrate unity and pride

The programme carries profound political, cultural and social significance, helping promote historical values and the Vietnamese tradition of paying tribute to the past generations, while nurturing love for the homeland and country and strengthening bonds among generations of Vietnamese people.

A visitor watches a calligraphy demonstration at the first Vietnam Calligraphy Festival 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam Calligraphy Festival celebrates national cultural heritage

The festival features more than 100 exhibition booths, bringing together calligraphy clubs from across the country, calligraphers, artisans, culture researchers, businesses and representatives of traditional craft villages. Exhibitions, exchanges, discussions and hands-on activities celebrate calligraphy and promote Vietnam’s cultural values.

Tourists experience writing calligraphy through virtual reality at Hanoi's Temple of Literature. (Photo: VNA

Hanoi works to unlock heritage resources

When innovation deepens understanding of traditional values rather than replacing them, heritage becomes not only something to preserve but also a resource for sustainable tourism, economic development and reinforcement of Hanoi’s position as a UNESCO Creative City.

Following the launch ceremony, the 100-motorbike convoy travels from Dong Van across Ma Pi Leng Pass, taking in spectacular mountain scenery and the Nho Que River before finishing at Pa Vi Ha in Meo Vac commune. (Photo: VNA)

100 motorbikes conquer Ma Pi Leng Pass to promote safe travel

A convoy of 100 motorbikes set off on a journey across Ma Pi Leng Pass on October 21 as part of a roadshow campaign to promote safe motorcycle travel in the northern province of Tuyen Quang, home to the Dong Van Karst Plateau UNESCO Global Geopark.

The work "Khong gian cua nui" (The Space of Mountains) by Le Lang Luong. (Photo: Published by VNA)

Vietnam-Japan sculpture exhibition to bring artists together in Kanagawa

The “Dialogue” exhibition in Japan's Kanagawa prefecture from November 8-11 will feature more than 30 works by artists from both countries, including 26 pieces by 13 contemporary Vietnamese sculptors from different generations. These artists have developed distinctive artistic languages and made their own marks on Vietnam’s contemporary art scene.

A performance at the event (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese in Hungary stage first Great National Unity Festival

The event also served as a showcase for Vietnamese culture, customs, cuisine and traditions, in step with Vietnamese Culture Day. It encouraged Vietnamese of all generations to hold onto their cultural identity while spreading the image of Vietnam and its people among Hungarians, adding to people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries.

An ao dai fashion show at the festival. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese culture shines at festival in RoK

A celebration marking the seventh founding anniversary of the Vietnamese Migrant Women’s Association (VMWA) in Ansan, Gyeonggi province, the Republic of Korea, took place on October 18, featuring cultural exchanges and activities to mark Vietnamese Women’s Day (October 20).

Vietnam harnesses culture as growth driver

Vietnam harnesses culture as growth driver

Under a March 17, 2026 action plan from the municipal Party Committee, which follows the Politburo’s Resolution 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026, on Vietnamese cultural development, the city is moving beyond preservation alone. It is now upholding heritage values while developing cultural products, spaces and markets tied to innovation and global integration.