In Hà Tĩnh, the legacy of Nguyễn Du is not confined to museums or textbooks. It lives in schoolyards, village festivals and public stages, where Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều) continues to be read, recited and reimagined.

As the province marks the 260th anniversary of the great poet’s birth, culture is becoming both a source of pride and a powerful engine for tourism development.

The locality has hosted a wide range of engaging cultural activities to promote timeless cultural values from the celebrated poet’s heritage for future generations, while also creating distinctive tourism products that captivate visitors from near and far.

Nguyễn Du (1765–1820), also known as Tố Như or Thanh Hiên, was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Celebrity in 2013.

His most influential work, The Tale of Kiều is revered as one of the greatest classics in Vietnamese literature. It is celebrated for its inventive storytelling, independent thought, and rich distillation of Vietnamese culture.

Hà Tĩnh is celebrating the 260th anniversary of Nguyễn Du’s birthday with a grand artistic programme titled Great Poet Nguyễn Du - An Enlightening Heart at Thành Sen Square on December 20.

Over 200 artists from both central and local troupes will re-enact the layers of emotions, fate and humanitarian spirit embodied in The Tale of Kiều through the language of light and music. This contemporary staging represents a fresh artistic approach, bringing the literary masterpiece closer to modern audiences while deepening the dialogue between tradition and technology.

Additionally, there will be other cultural activities such as poem reciting, calligraphy, and folk games associated with the characters and stories of the great poet. Many localities, especially his hometown of Tiên Điền Commune, have planned to organise folk festivals, allowing residents to actively participate in art performances, poetry recitation and community-based cultural events.

Thành Mỹ Secondary School, located in Tiên Điền, is a leading institution in promoting The Tale of Kiều, particularly through the integration of this masterpiece into extracurricular activities such as artistic contests, performances, recitations, and folk games.

The school has devised a comprehensive plan to promote the masterpiece since the beginning of this school year. The Tale of Kiều is read during the first 15 minutes of the morning session, allowing the verses to become an integral part of students' daily learning routine.

In particular, ninth-grade students visit the Nguyễn Du Memorial Site, where they learn about the poet’s life and career. This hands-on experience enables them not only to absorb knowledge from textbooks but also to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and historical context that shaped Nguyễn Du into a world cultural figure.

According to Nguyễn Hải Nam, head of the Nguyễn Tiên Điền Family Clan, The Tale of Kiều continues to possess remarkable vitality in its birthplace.

“The passion for the timeless masterpiece has been constantly maintained and passed down from generation to generation,” he said.

The verses of The Tale of Kiều have become an essential part of the spiritual nourishment during festivals, celebrating the longevity of the elderly, in cultural activities, and in the education of children within families. 

“Despite deep integration and the strong influence of foreign cultures, the spirit of cherishing, practising and promoting The Tale of Kiều remains a defining value for generations in the poet’s homeland,” he added.

These meaningful activities, organised to honour Nguyễn Du’s heritage, serve not only as tributes to the great poet but also as living efforts to preserve the cultural depth and soul of Việt Nam amid the currents of modern life.

Tourism potential

Hà Tĩnh is rich in cultural heritage, offering substantial potential and clear advantages for tourism development. The province recognises culture as a spiritual foundation that fosters sustainable socio-economic growth.

The utmost goal is to transform Hà Tĩnh into a province of comprehensive development with a distinct cultural identity, while also making it an attractive destination on Việt Nam’s tourism map.

Within this vision, Tiên Điền Commune boasts a unique geographical position that combines river, mountain, and sea elements. Coupled with its rich cultural heritage, it holds significant potential to become a highlight of Hà Tĩnh's tourism.

One notable tourist attraction is Nguyễn Du Memorial Site, which includes a shrine, an exhibition area, a burial site, and auxiliary structures, creating a historically and spiritually rich environment.

The site currently preserves nearly 1,000 artefacts and documents related to Nguyễn Du’s life and works, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. Its designation as a National Special Heritage Site provides a solid foundation for continued investment in preservation and tourism development.

 

Digital applications such as QR codes, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been integrated into visitor services, enabling easier access to visual and contextual information. 

“In most of our tours that pass through the north central region, tourists request to stop at the Nguyễn Du Memorial Site,” said Nguyễn Tiến Trình, general director of Thành Sen Travel JSC. 

The local authorities said that the commune would further develop tourism products with unique features, create a digitised database about the historical site, and establish a code of conduct for the residents in the area, with the aim to establish the tourism brand Tiên Điền - The Space of Truyện Kiều.

“We want every resident of Tiên Điền to be a cultural ambassador, telling the story of Truyện Kiều through their smiles, gestures, and mannerisms,” said Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, secretary of the Tiên Điền Communist Party.

To realise the goal of developing culture in conjunction with tourism, he recommended an overall proposal for the development of cultural space of Nguyễn Du and coastal tourism in Hà Tĩnh, as well as policies to support infrastructure, restoration of cultural sites, and training of human resources.

“Only through concerted efforts from provincial to grassroots levels, and with culture invested in at an appropriate scale, can Tiên Điền truly become a cultural and tourism destination of national significance,” he said. VNS

 

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About 'The Tale of Kiều'

Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều), written by Nguyễn Du in the early 19th century, is the most celebrated masterpiece of Vietnamese literature. Composed in 3,254 lines of lục bát (six–eight) verse, the epic tells the tragic yet deeply humane story of Thúy Kiều, a talented and virtuous young woman who sacrifices her own happiness to save her family.

After selling herself into marriage to save her father, Kiều endures a long chain of betrayal, exile and suffering, passing through brothels, forced marriages and years of separation. Yet despite her fate, she retains dignity, compassion and moral strength.

Nguyễn Du infused the work with profound reflections on human suffering, karma, destiny and resilience. The Tale of Kiều is not only a literary achievement, but a cultural mirror of the Vietnamese soul, cherished across generations. VNS