Vietnamese comic makes crowd-funded comeback

Nguyen Quang Huy has been waiting for 10 years for the return of his favourite comic, entitled Long Than Tuong (The Dragon General).
Nguyen Quang Huy has been waiting for 10 years for the return of hisfavourite comic, entitled Long Than Tuong (The Dragon General).

Holdingthe book in his hands, Huy said he hasn't been so eager to read acomic, especially a Vietnamese comic, for a long time, as he had gotused to reading Japanese and Korean comics.

The first of fivevolumes of Long Than Tuong was released in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Citylast weekend. It must have come up to readers' expectations as they aresponsoring the book's production and distribution.

Thecrowd-funded book is a historical story, with some fictional details,about a young man named Long (Dragon) who lived during the reign of theTran Dynasty (1225-1400), when the country was facing the secondMongolian invasion. This period saw one of the most heroic chaptersscripted in the nation's history.

Long's mission is to help thecourt fight the invaders. He is granted some magical powers and trainedto complete the mission. The authors wanted to give readers a peek intothe history of resistance in the country, and the glorious victories wonagainst invaders.

Part of the comic was printed 10 years ago andwas welcomed by readers, but unfortunately, the book's continuation wasinterrupted.

The authors of the book, including painters NguyenThanh Phong and Nguyen My Anh, and playwright Nguyen Khanh Duong, thenasked the readers to make financial contributions to help the book'spublication.

Along with the comic book, the readers will receive aposter, a handwritten letter of thanks from the authors and othersouvenirs, depending on how much money they donate.

The authorsstarted the crowd-funding project in April, hoping to raise 300 millionVND (14,280 USD). In two months, they received 330 million VND.

This is the first crowd-funded comic to be published in Vietnam.

PainterNguyen Thanh Phong, the initiator of the project, said that they hopethe readers will help them to bring out a high-quality product, not onlyby contributing money, but also ideas that can be incorporated.

ResearcherTran Quang Duc helped the authors to decide the attire and pictures ofthe book's characters. Duc, 29, is the youngest scholar on Vietnamesecostumes, and published the book, Ngan Nam Ao Mu (A Study of Costumes in1,000 Years) last year.

The fact is that Vietnamese readersdon't have many historical stories to read. And the comic market isdominated by Japanese and Korean authors. So the project to make a comicseries featuring Vietnamese history has received favourable responseand encouragement from the public, said Duong.

They have so far sold 2,000 copies of the book.-VNA

See more

Artists take part in a parade at the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024. (Photo the HFCD organiser)

'Creative Meetup' programme takes place in Hanoi

The 'Creative Meetup' programme in Hanoi showcases initiatives from the creative community across eight cultural industry sectors, celebrating creativity and innovative solutions within the creative community.

A student from Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school participates in a story-telling competition in Vietnamese with the theme "Vinh Moc Tunnel - Quang Tri, where life is immortal" (Photo: VNA)

Culture expected to remain pillar of Vietnam’s sustainable development: ethnologist

Ha noted that the upcoming congress is also expected to improve institutions and infrastructure for cultural industries, intellectual property and the creative economy sector. These fields are not only drivers of identity-based economic growth but also key tools for strengthening soft power and projecting the national image in an increasingly interconnected world.

Heritage innovation drives Hanoi’s cultural growth (Photo: VNA)

Heritage renewal energises Hanoi’s cultural sector

According to Hanoi Department of Tourism Director Dang Huong Giang, these innovative products not only diversify experiences but also demonstrate the city’s adaptability to modern trends, contributing to improved visitor satisfaction and reinforcing Hanoi’s creative and forward-looking spirit.

Tourists visit the Hue Imperial Citadel. (Photo: VNA)

Hue digitises imperial heritage to mitigate disaster and climate risks

As science and technology advance rapidly, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre was asked to accelerate the digitisation of documents, drawings, images and artefacts, build a unified database of monuments, and apply 3D, VR and AR technologies in research, exhibitions, and heritage interpretation.

Screenshot photo of the article about the match between Vietnam's U23 and Kyrgyzstan's U23 at King Abdullah Sports City Hall on January 9 on Aki Press.

Kyrgyzstan media warn their team ahead of match against Vietnam U23

After opening their campaign with a 0–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia U23 — a match in which they were reduced to 10 men from the 34th minute following Arsen Sharshenbekov’s red card — Kyrgyzstan U23 head into the meeting with Vietnam under heavy pressure. Another defeat would likely see coach Edmar Lacerda’s side eliminated early from the tournament.

Tran Ngoc Luong (right) is one of Vietnamese athletes in the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships 2026 in China. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese fighters eye Asian MMA titles in China

Vietnamese fighters will target championship honours when they compete at the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championships 2026 in China, aiming to build momentum and ranking points on the continental stage.

At the ceremony to honour and reward coaches and athletes who achieved outstanding results at SEA Games 33 in Hanoi on January 7, 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi’s athletes, coaches honoured for great success at SEA Games 33

Addressing a ceremony to honour and reward coaches and athletes who achieved outstanding results at SEA Games 33 in Hanoi on January 7, Deputy Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha stated that the municipal authorities have invested in world-class facilities, introduced support and reward policies for coaches and athletes, enabling them to train abroad, gain experience, and strengthen their competitiveness at international events.

Delegates cut the ribbon to open the “Spring – The Dawn of Victory” exhibition (Photo: nhandan.vn)

“Spring – The Dawn of Victory” exhibition opens

The exhibition highlights decisive historical turning points, the Party’s leadership role, and the immense strength of the people, which together laid the foundation for the victories of the Vietnamese revolution.