Nguyen Du's legacy: People visit an outdoor exhibition showcasing 150 oil paintings illustrating of The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du. The exhibition is part several activities held during the Culture Tourism Week to commemorate Vietnamese celebrated poet Nguyen Du in his homeland in the central province of Ha Tinh's Nghi Xuan District. — VNA/VNS Photo

HA TINH (VNS) — A special performance has opened Culture Tourism Week to commemorate Vietnamese celebrated poet Nguyen Du (1766-1820) in his homeland in the central province of Ha Tinh's Nghi Xuan District.

Staged by 100 artists, the performance highlighted significant cultural and historical values of the region, but also honoured the legacy of Nguyen Du, who was honoured as a World Cultural Figure by the UN cultural agency UNICEF.

The Culture Tourism Week is part of a series of cultural activities aiming to celebrate and cherish his life and works on the occasion of his 250th birthday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Saturday night Chairman of Nghi Xuan District's People Committee Nguyen Hai Nam expressed his pride of the sacred region, which was home to many great figures of the nation, including Nguyen Du and Nguyen Cong Tru (1778-1858) – a general, economist and poet.

Also on Saturday night, generous donors contributed nearly VND1.3 billion (about US$57,700) for the Nguyen Du Study Encouragement Fund to support outstanding students as well as poor children living in Ha Tinh Province.

An exhibition on the theme of Nguyen Du' literature legacy and his classical epic poem The Tale of Kieu has also been opened to the public.

In addition, 150 oil paintings illustrating of The Tale of Kieu are on display, and the exhibition showcases a collection of versions of The Tale of Kieu printed in different languages such as English, French, German, Russian and Japanese.

A stamp collection commemorating the anniversary will be released during the event, and the agenda also includes a folk music festival gathering art troupes from the Red River Delta and the northern-central region. — VNS