Life-long love for Ha Noi

TIN LIÊN QUAN
	Photo exhibition on Ha Noi opens
	The traditional meals in Vietnam

Cultural researcher Huu Ngoc was born into a family in Ha Noi with a rich tradition of Confucianism. However, when he grew up he was significantly affected by Western culture and is fluent in many foreign languages. Working in a number of jobs relevant to culture, he contends that cultural exchange in today’s life is a multi-dimensional interaction among countries which has posed certain challenges in preserving a traditional and authentic cultural essence.

Veteran culturist Huu Ngoc (middle) receives the Grand Prize at the ceremony held in Ha Noi on August 17, 2017. (Photo: baotintuc.vn)

On the other hand, he recognises that cultural exchange also provides a good opportunity for promoting the country’s cultural charm. Therefore, he has tried to take advantage of every opportunity to advertise Vietnam’s cultural beauty through his talks, books and articles.

In 1997, he released a book entitled ‘A Sketch of Vietnamese Culture’ in French and in English. The book provides readers with a full coverage of the capital Ha Noi through introductions of its streets, cuisine and customs. ‘A Sketch of Vietnamese Culture’ was given by the Vietnamese Government as a special present to the heads of state at the 7th Francophone Meeting in Ha Noi in 1997.

Another of Ngoc’s books which is considered as a hand-book on Ha Noi is ‘Ha Noi, Who are you?’ Each volume of the book introduces readers to a different aspect of Ha Noi, such as history, Ha Noi’s Old Quarter, cuisines, the name of Ha Noi’s streets, culture and arts, and education. The book has met the need of foreign visitors to Ha Noi. Released in English, the book is highly valued by readers for its elegant language and flowing expressions.

Huu Ngoc has also authored a number of books on popularising Ha Noi’s culture among world readers, such as ‘Portrait of Ha Noi, the 1000-year-old Dragon City’, and “My Ha Noi.’ Now when he is about to turn 100 years old, Huu Ngoc has drafted a new book collecting his articles which had been published in German magazines.

For his whole-hearted contributions to the capital, Huu Ngoc was honoured the 2017 ‘Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Ha Noi’ awards, following researcher Vu Tuan San, Professor Phan Huy Len, Hanoiologist Nguyen Vinh Phuc, and photographer Le Vuong, who were previous winners of the prestigious prize.

Through its ten editions, the ‘Bui Xuan Phai – For the Love of Ha Noi’ awards have recognised the dedication of Vietnamese people and foreigners who share their love for Ha Noi and have worked out many initiatives to improve the image of the capital city. The awards include four sub awards which include the Grand prize, Best Idea, Best Job and Best Artwork prizes.

In addition to honouring veteran scholars and good-will foreigners who have shared a common love for Ha Noi, the awards have been also given to youngsters, including #DHanoi, a group of of youngsters who have revived Ha Noi’s architectural constructions of the past with 3D technology, Ha Noi Lovers and Ashui.com who joined hands in a project to capture Ha Noi from above, and Hanoikids – a group of volunteers who provide free tour guides for foreigners in Ha Noi.

Although they haven’t received any award, members of My Hanoi, a group of youngsters in Ha Noi, have made significant contributions to preserving the culture of the city over the past decade. The group was founded by Ngo Quy Duc, a Ha Noi-born young man who is studying technology. Being aware of the lack of documents on Ha Noi in the internet, Duc and his friends launched an online library on Ha Noi in 2006.

The group now has 50 permanent members, and has attracted hundreds of online volunteers. As the Internet has robustly developed in Vietnam, the group has expanded its operation into various activities such as collecting information on traditional festivals in villages around West Lake, creating green space in the city, helping children learn more about the city’s traditional arts and folk games.

The group is also the developer of a project to create a space for folk games around Hoan Kiem Lake during weekends, which invite visitors to take part in exciting games such as rope skipping, blind man's buff, and tug of war.

In June 2017, My Hanoi inaugurated a space for a Ha Noi cultural exchange at 32 Vong Thi Street, Tay Ho district, which is designed to host displays, exhibitions of Ha Noi’s traditional handicraft products and books about Ha Noi as well as meetings and performances of folk arts forms. To date, the space has successfully hosted a workshop on the making of bamboo and rattan products, an exchange with artisans from villages making traditional toys for Mid-autumn festival, and a musical show by classical guitarists.

The love for Ha Noi has been nurtured and passed down from the old to younger generations of the city’s dwellers, who have utilised advanced technology to advertise Ha Noi through websites and forums. Their work has significantly contributed to preserving and developing the time-honoured cultural essence of the capital city.

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