Vietnamese novel about war wins Asia Literature Award 2018

11/15/2018 - 3:32:17 PM

Noi Buon Chien Tranh (The Sorrow of War), the well-known novel by Bao Ninh, has once again received a regional literary award in the Republic of Korea.

The novel, which tells the story of a soldier who grows reflective as he collects dead bodies after a battle, won the only prize at the Asia Literature Award 2018 during a recent ceremony in the RoK.

The winner was selected by a council of seven Korean writers and a publisher from all works available in the book market. Organisers invited nominated writers to the RoK for the award ceremony.

Ninh, whose real name is Hoang Au Phuong, was born in 1952. He is a novelist and writer of short stories best known for his aforementioned award-winning first book, The Sorrow of War.

During the anti-American War, he served in the 27th Youth Volunteer Brigade. Of the five hundred who went to war with the brigade in 1969, he is one of just 10 who survived.

The Sorrow of War, written in the stream of consciousness style, first won the Vietnam Writers’ Association Award in 1991.

The writer and his novel also won the third Shim Hun Literary Award in the RoK in 2016 and the 2011 Asia Literature Award from the Nihon Keizai Shimbun in Japan, among other honours.

Author Bao Ninh (L) receives the Asian Literature Award for his internationally well-known novel The Sorrow of War.

Since its publication in 1990, the novel has been translated into many different languages and published in around 20 countries.

In the RoK, the novel was first available a long time ago, but the only accessible version was translated from the English version.

In 2012, it was translated directly from Vietnamese into Korean by Ha Jae-hong and published by Asia Publishing House.

The Asian Literature Award 2018 was part of the Asian Literature Festival 2018, which ran from November 6 to 9 in the RoK’s southwest city of Gwangju.

Source: NDO

Hoa Binh’s cultural heritage: Muong Gongs, a timeless cultural treasure

Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.

Preserving, promoting Muong cultural heritage: Upholding Muong culture into contemporary life

Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.

Preserving essence of Muong culture: tradition meets modernity

The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.

Preserving Muong community’s identity – Journey from tradition to modernity: Part 1 – Exploring Muong culture region

The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.

Traditional festivals of Hoa Binh: A rich cultural heritage

For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.

Muong calendar – National intangible cultural heritage

Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.