The award was organized by the China - Southeast Asia Cultural Book Week Committee, Guangxi Publishing Group and Bach Dao website, presented during the Cultural Week in Nam Ninh.
The book ranked 8th in the top 20 influential Southeast Asian books, reaching 4.73 points, the only Vietnamese work to win an award. The organizing committee commented: With a sophisticated pen, the work creates a vivid picture of Hanoi culinary culture, expressing the author's inheritance, innovation and deep love for Vietnamese culture.
This award is based on consumption data, reader feedback and media evaluation in China.
The work takes readers back in time to Hanoi in the early 20th century, explores how Hanoians create, prepare cuisine and absorb the cultural flows of the East - West, South - North. Combining the personal experience of a native Hanoian and meticulous research from documents, archaeology to living documents from the elderly, the book brings a profound, vivid perspective on the cultural identity of Hanoi's cuisine in the 20th century.
Along with Overcoming Thousands of clouds by author Do Quang Tuan Hoang, the book was launched at the China - Southeast Asia Book Culture Week on November 16, 2024 in Nam Ninh.
The author of the book Hanoi people, the story of eating and drinking in the past is Dr., an expert in paleontology, anthology and cultural history, former Head of the Research Department of the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology: Vu The Long (born in 1947 in Hanoi). He has many domestic and international research projects, has won press awards and participated in the program "Vietnamese Kitchen" on VTV2.
In his speech, he shared his love for Chinese culture through works such as: Thuy Hu, Tay Du Ky and emphasized the exchange of Vietnamese - Chinese cuisine. He hopes that the book will introduce how Vietnamese people enjoy Chinese dishes and the differences when Chinese dishes travel to Vietnam.
According to Dr. Vu The Long, "Hanoians" are not only those who were born or have ancestors for many generations here, but also those who have entered the country, integrated and contributed to the culture of the capital. Cuisine, an important part of culture, reflects the convergence and crystallization of exchange flows.
From the elderly and personal experiences, he recreated the ups and downs and tastes of Hanoi cuisine, from traditional to the transmission of Western and Chinese culture through historical periods. He questioned whether cuisine can be considered the "eighth art", emphasizing the importance of preserving and developing Hanoi's dining culture.
Thanh Doa Translator feels the work as a conversation with a Hanoian about memories, from the origin of beef pho to coffee drinking culture... In particular, the story of the author going to Dong Xuan market with his mother evokes family affection and the beauty of Hanoi culture, easily reaching global readers. She encouraged Vietnamese cultural lovers to read the original and thanked publishers for bringing Hanoi culture to Chinese readers.
At the invitation of Quang Tay Publishing - Media Group, Chibooks Cultural Joint Stock Company attended China - ASEAN Cultural Book Week 2025 from July 3 - 6, 2025 in Nam Ninh, Guangxi, China. Commemorating the 75th anniversary of Vietnam - China diplomatic relations, Chibooks organized a Vietnamese cultural booth, displaying books, handicrafts, ao dai, ethnic minority shirts, and performing national art forms. Translator Nguyen Le Chi (Director of Chi Culture Joint Stock Company, Vice President of the Literature and Traduction Council of Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association), writer Trinh Bich Ngan (Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association), author Do Quang Tuan Hoang and the Chibooks collective welcomed international guests. Chibooks became a member of the China - ASEAN copyright Commercial Service Website, promoting Vietnamese culture.
At the event, there was a bilingual book launching ceremony "Lengue in Vietnamese - Chinese sports", jointly published by Chi Culture Joint Stock Company and Quang Tay Education Publishing House. The book will be used in teaching at sports schools in Vietnam and China.
In addition, author Do Quang Tuan Hoang shared about Vietnamese tea culture, introducing the book "A Thousand Years of Vietnamese Tea".
Writer Trinh Bich Ngan shared about Vietnamese poetry with Chinese readers, in which she read the passionate poem "Turn towards Pain" composed by her. Translator Nguyen Le Chi said that this was the third time she brought a Vietnamese author and writer to China to exchange, and was warmly welcomed by readers, so she was very happy and planned to continue organizing the next exchange programs.
