The
annual Viet Nam’s Poetry Day took place yesterday on the full-moon day of the
first lunar month across the country.

Poetry corner: This year, children have their own area where they can read poems as part of Poetry Day in Ha Noi.

At the Temple of
Literature, the theme of the was spring.

Nguyen Huu Thinh,
chairman of the Viet Nam Writers Association and who organised the event, said
this year’s poetry festival marked the 100th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh’s
mission to Europe to seek support for Vietnamese resistance against French
occupation in 1911.

It was also the 70th
anniversary of his return to Viet Nam.

The festival began
with a procession to the Temple of Literature. “A delegation of writers brought
some soil from President Ho’s home in Sen Village, in the central province of
Nghe An,” Thinh said.

They also brought
water from the source of the famed Lenin Stream in the northern province of Cao
Bang, near where the President lived in the 1940s.

The bust of 30
celebrated writers who were presented with Ho Chi Minh Awards were also on
display.

In addition, President
Ho Chi Minh’s poems, translated into several languages, were displayed at Thien
Quang Well in the temple.

Hundreds of red
lanterns adorned with lines of poetry were hung at Khue Van Pavilion.

At Van Lake there were
poetry recitations for children.

“The stage for
children attracted many visitors,” said poet Phuong Lien, who managed the event.

“The works were not
just by veteran poets but also children themselves,” she said.

A personal touch: Poetry lovers read poems at the Literature Temple in Ha Noi. (Photos: VNS)

The annual Viet Nam
Poetry Day was launched in 2003.

Participating in the
two-day event in the southern central of Phu Yen, which ends tonight, will be
Nguyen Khoa Diem, Tran Dang Khoa, Do Trung Quan and Thinh.

Poems will be posted
along the road leading to Nhan Mountain.

The event will feature
installation art and calligraphy, according to Ngoc Quang, vice director of the
provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Thua Thien-Hue city held a
gala night entitled Poetry’s Resound at the Imperial Palace.

Newcomers

The event in HCM City
was organised at Nha Rong Wharf under the theme HCM City: The Place Where Uncle
Ho Set Out to Go Abroad to Find a Way to Save the Nation.

Poems composed by Ly
Thuong Kiet and Ho Chi Minh, two of the country’s greatest national heroes, were
presented, along with works by veteran writers Lam Giang, Pham Thi Ngoc Lien and
Ngo Thi Y Nhi, all of which were accompanied by singing and dancing on stage.

Organisers said this
year’s festival focused on works by young poets, including newcomers Truong Gia
Hoa, Phan Hon Nhien and Le Thi Kim, who are expected to become members of the
city’s Writers’ Association.

Young people also had
opportunities to present their works for the first time to the public. Their new
ideas and different writing styles brought a breath of fresh air to the event.

At the Youth Cultural
House, poetry clubs from local universities and cultural houses introduced their
members last night, while amateur poets showed their works after discussing
their problems.

Poet Le Minh Quoc, a
member of the city’s Writers’ Association and the festival’s organising board,
said: “Young writers use simple and raw words to give expression to their
sensitive souls. Their style should be supported by their older colleagues.”

Among the guests are
literary critics, who are involved and interested in local art.

As usual, a series of
special performances, staged by the HCM City Traditional Arts Troupe, was also
highlighted. More than 200 people participated in the event.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News