High schools students study a work by Nguyễn Đình Chiểu at an exhibition about his life and career in Bên Tre Province. VNA/VNS Photo Chương Đài
BẾN TRE CITY — The life and career of Nguyễn Đình Chiểu (1822–1888), a great cultural scholar, national patriotic poet, and outstanding teacher and doctor, has been honoured at an international conference in the southern province of Bến Tre.
Speaking at the conference on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoàng Đạo Cương said Nguyễn Đình Chiểu was a great Vietnamese author whose works are popular abroad, ranking just after the great poet Nguyễn Du and President Hồ Chí Minh.
The conference, held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST) in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Bến Tre Province's People’s Committee, is a major event among a series of ongoing activities to celebrate the great poet's 200th birthday on July 1.
The life and career of the famous scholar have been studied extensively over the past 150 years by many generations of Vietnamese and foreign researchers, according to Cương.
"Introductions of his works had been presented by the French from the time the poet was still alive. Over time, his works and life have entered history, literature, culture, art and daily life of people in the South, as well as across the country and abroad," Cương said.
The MoCST deputy minister stressed that this international science conference would be an activity to contribute to strengthening the commitment of Bến Tre Province and Việt Nam to UNESCO, continuously affirming the heritage value that Chiểu has left for posterity.
It also made a great contribution to the national work of preserving and promoting national cultural values in the context of international integration, he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Bến Tre provincial Party Committee Lê Đức Thọ confirmed that Chiểu's talent and position in literature, medicine and education were recognised and honoured even during his lifetime.
As one of the founders and the most representative author of patriotic literature against foreign invaders in the second half of the 19th century, he contributed to raising the stature and influence of the country's literature, the official said.
A shining example of patriotism, love for the people, and strong will in the fight against foreign invaders, as well as resisting all temptations and spiritual threats, he clearly showed his bravery as a "soldier on the ideological and cultural fronts", Thọ added.
According to Venkat Reddy Konatham (English and Foreign Languages University, India) and Võ Thành Tâm, Master and Head of International Relations Department (Nguyễn Tất Thành University), the image of Lục Vân Tiên in Chiểu's masterpiece Lục Vân Tiên and the Southern lifestyle have had certain influences on the Indian community living in Việt Nam.
At the conference, domestic and foreign researchers and scientists also exchanged, discussed and continued to clarify many issues surrounding Chiểu's time, hometown and family; his position as a cultural scholar honoured by UNESCO and the values of his works, thereby proposing solutions to continue protecting and promoting his heritage works.
The conference especially focused on issues of protecting and promoting Chiểu's ideological and personality values in the context of international integration and his heritage in sustainable tourism development of Việt Nam and Bến Tre Province.
Exhibition highlights life and career
An exhibition themed “Nguyễn Đình Chiểu - The Life and Career” officially opened at the special national monument and tomb dedicated to the celebrity in Ba Tri District, Bến Tre Province.
On display are more than 300 artefacts, documents and photos of the homeland, family and literary career of the celebrity.
Bến Tre Province has applied VR360 virtual reality technology for the first time to the event, allowing visitors to visit it on their smartphones.
Exhibits include topics about Chiểu's homeland and family, his life as a great poet and culturalist and documents about him.
Chiểu was born in Bình Dương District, Gia Định Province (now District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City).
At around the age of 24, he contracted an eye infection and was soon blind. Just before this infection, he learned of his mother’s death, and according to legend, Chiểu was so heartbroken he was said to have gone blind with grief.
He opened a small school to teach poor students in Gia Định. He was also a popular medical practitioner who offered treatment to local people.
He later moved to Cần Giuộc in Long An Province (now Bến Tre Province), where he lived f the rest of his life.
Chiểu's famous work Lục Vân Tiên was written in nôm (the old Chinese-based Vietnamese script) in the 1850s. It is one of the two most celebrated Vietnamese epic poems, along with Nguyễn Du’s Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều) in the early 19th century.
Last year, a proposal for the celebration of Chiểu’s 200th birthday anniversary was submitted and is expected to be approved by the UNESCO General Assembly in November.
The proposal has received support and recognition from South Korea, Thailand, Japan and India.
UNESCO has commemorated the birth anniversaries of four Vietnamese celebrities, including the late President Hồ Chí Minh, educator Chu Văn An, and poets Nguyễn Du and Nguyễn Trãi. VNS
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