SOUTHERN CULTURE: A series of ten books on the South’s history, culture, theatre and music by late cultural researcher and historian Vương Hồng Sển has been released by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House in HCM City. Photo courtesy of Trẻ Publishing House.

HCM CITY  A series of ten books on the South’s history and culture by late historian and cultural researcher Vương Hồng Sển has been released by HCM City-based Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.

The publications feature the history of the South’s beginning and development in different periods. 

Highlighted books are Sài Gòn Năm Xưa (Sài Gòn in the Past), Sài Gòn Tả Pí Lù (The Stories of Saigonese) and Tự Vị Tiếng Nói Miền Nam (The Southern Dialect Dictionary). 

These works highlight Sài Gòn, now Hồ Chí Minh City, its people, culture and lifestyle. 

Sển’s family and the Trẻ Publishing House have signed a contract to reprint and release his works.  

According to cultural researcher Nguyễn Hiến Lê, Sển’s books are like films capturing the South which help readers discover the land’s development in different periods. 

He also released many books and documentaries on the South’s culture, traditional theatre and music. 

Sển was born in 1902 in Sóc Trăng Province, and died in 1996 in HCM City.

He was also an antique collector, and donated his collection of 840 antiques to local public museums.

His house, located in Bình Thạnh District’s Nguyễn Thiện Thuật Street, has become a tourist destination.

The old building is still well maintained with big pillars and carved patterns. It displays many ancient objects, paintings and photos.

It was recognised as an “architectural monument” of the city by the HCM City administration in 2003.

ARTEFACT COLLECTOR: Late historian and cultural researcher Vương Hồng Sển was born in 1902 in Sóc Trăng Province. He was also an antique collector. Photo courtesy of Trẻ Publishing House.

Two of his books, entitled Truyện Cười Cố Nhân (Folk Jokes) and Hồi Ký 50 Năm Mê Hát (Memories of 50 Years Singing), were recently reprinted, attracting many young readers, including university students in literature, cinema and theatre.  

Truyện Cười Cố Nhân was first released in 1972 and focuses on the habits and funny phenomena reflected in southern culture and lifestyle. Folk literature is also included. 

Hồi Ký 50 Năm Mê Hát features the history and development of cải lương (reformed opera), a traditional genre of southern theatre which began in the early 1920s in the Mekong River Delta region.

The book includes pictures and paintings collected and captured by writer Sển. 

It provides readers with a better knowledge of traditional songs, tunes and dances used in theatre in South Việt Nam. VNS