On the occasion of the 260th anniversary of the birth of great poet Nguyen Du - World Cultural Figure (1765 - 1820), the Writers' Association Publishing House in collaboration with Nha Nam introduced the special edition "Kim Van Kieu" and the Kieu painting collection by famous painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem.
The publication also honors the lasting value of national literary masterpieces, and at the same time looks back at the history of transcription, annotation into the national language and reception of the Tale of Kieu in Vietnamese intellectual and cultural life over the past two centuries.
Nha Nam's "Kim Van Kieu" edition is reprinted based on the "Kim Van Kieu" translated by Nguyen Van Vinh, annotating the citations of the Quoc Ngu script, printed for the 7th time in 1923 by Ich Ky School (Hanoi). Nguyen Van Vinh's "Kim Van Kieu" translation and annotation, over many years, has been loved for its clear transcription, along with a sophisticated but restrained annotation system, helping Quoc Ngu readers correctly feel Nguyen Du's talent and poetry art.
It can be seen that its popularity is not inferior to the translation and annotation of Kieu that readers today know more about, which is the "Thuy Kieu Story" by Bui Ky and Tran Trong Kim.
According to Professor Tran Dinh Su, "Kim Van Kieu" translated into Quoc Ngu by Nguyen Van Vinh is one of the earliest and most important Kieu versions, helping readers today better understand the modernization process of Vietnamese literature, as well as the role of intellectuals in the transition period in popularizing Quoc Ngu script, creating a spirit of love for ancient literary knowledge and the country's language.
Kim Van Kieu" special edition 2025 of Nha Nam will help readers learn more about the career and contributions of scholar Nguyen Van Vinh and have the opportunity to reread and deeply enjoy the Kieu Chu Quoc Ngu edition born more than 100 years ago.
In addition, Nha Nam's "Kim Van Kieu" 2025 edition also introduces a collection of Kieu paintings including 26 unpublished paintings by famous painter Nguyen Tu Nghiem (1922 - 2016). As one of the great faces of modern Vietnamese fine arts, Nguyen Tu Nghiem has spent many years composing Kieu paintings, considering this as a space for dialogue between artistic tradition, modern spirit and personality-filled visual language, thereby bringing the public a creative and unique way to "read Kieu with images".
The highlight in Nguyen Tu Nghiem's Kieu paintings is that it does not follow the direct illustration of the plot, but exploits the psychological depth, personality and emotions of each character, situation, and event in the Tale of Kieu.
The public and art critics believe that Nguyen Tu Nghiem's painting style, of which Kieu painting is a typical example, is shaped by the exploitation of traditional art capital of the nation, connecting the past with modernity, blending with European shaping techniques. Nguyen Tu Nghiem is also highly appreciated for his ability to express the aesthetics, personality, and soul of Vietnamese people in paintings.
The publication of these Kieu paintings in Nha Nam's "Kim Van Kieu" 2025 edition allows readers to access the Tale of Kieu from the very personal feelings and perspectives of talented artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem. Kieu paintings are all drawn on do paper, with charcoal, pencil, color powder or oil paint.
Kim Van Kieu" special edition 2025 of Nha Nam also shows that Nguyen Tu Nghiem's Kieu paintings continue to extend the tradition of painting Kieu originating from the early 20th century with the participation of many famous painters such as: Nguyen Tuong Lan, Nguyen Gia Tri, Tran Van Can, To Ngoc Van, Le Thi Luu, Le Pho, Nguyen Van Ty...
Nguyen Du, Nguyen Van Vinh, Nguyen Tu Nghiem - talented and elite figures of the country, return together, making us even more cherish our predecessors and even more see that Kieu Story is a work that cannot be said forever, cannot be finished.
