A UNESCO Resolution to honour poet Hồ Xuân Hương is presented to leaders of Nghệ An Province on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photos

NGHỆ AN — President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc attended a ceremony to celebrate female poet Hồ Xuân Hương's 250th birthday and 200th death anniversaries on Saturday in Vinh City, Nghệ An Province.

The event was to honour Hương's great contributions in terms of literature and ideology and in response to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) appeal to honour individuals who made outstanding contributions to the development of culture, education and international understanding.

UNESCO representative Christian Manhart handed over the Resolution to honour poet Hồ Xuân Hương to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng and leaders of Nghệ An Province on Saturday.

Hồ Xuân Hương (1772-1822) is the nation’s outstanding female poet, honoured as “The Queen of Nôm poetry” with many works reaching the pinnacle of poetry. 

Through her works, Hương spoke out to fight for people’s aspirations to live, feminism and equality between men and women.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Phúc said Hương was a talented female poet, a unique phenomenon of medieval Vietnamese literature. She made great contributions to Vietnamese culture and the world.

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc speaks at the ceremony to celebrate famous female poet Hồ Xuân Hương's 250th birth and 200th death anniversaries on Saturday in Vinh City, Nghệ An Province.

Her poetry contained deep and complicated matters and mentioned new and breakthrough issues. It was both romantic and feisty with a strong opposition spirit. Her works expressed a deep humanity and struggle for the right to life, to love and happiness for people, especially women.

The President said Việt Nam was proud and honoured her great contributions to the nation's culture and world literature. He said that it was also time to find valuable experiences and lessons in her legacy for the development of localities and Việt Nam in the future. Honouring Hương meant honouring the virtues and wisdom of traditional Vietnamese women.

On this occasion, President Phúc suggested that ministries, departments, Nghệ An Province's leaders and people, researchers and scientists continue to study and clarify the ideological and artistic values in Hương's works. It was their responsibility to introduce and spread her works to the public locally and internationally, and promote her poetry's cultural values ​​in the new period.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Thái Thanh Quý, chairman of Nghệ An Province People's Council, said through 200 years, Hương's poetry has still a strong attraction to readers, researchers, and critics at home and abroad.

Her poems have been translated into more than 10 different languages, and used in teaching and research widely. Hương and her poetry have become topics of literature, music, theatre, cinema, paintings, and folklore, which have been preserved and handed down by generations of people.

President Phúc offered incense and flowers in tribute to poet Hồ Xuân Hương at her memorial stele in Quỳnh Đôi Commune, Quỳnh Lưu District.

Earlier on Saturday, President Phúc offered incense and flowers in tribute to poet Hương at the house of worship of the Hồ family and her memorial stele in Quỳnh Đôi Commune, Quỳnh Lưu District.

He also offered incense and flowers at the grave of Hồ Tùng Mậu and a memorial stele dedicated to the hero of armed forces Cù Chính Lan. He expressed his gratitude for their dedication to the country.

On the occasion, the State leader presented gifts to 30 policy beneficiary families and ex-revolutionaries and handed over 30 houses to families living in especially difficult circumstances in the district. VNS