The cover of the special edition Kim Vân Kiều released by Nhã Nam Publishing House. — Photos courtesy of Nha Nam Publishing House

HÀ NỘI — Nhã Nam Publishing House has unveiled a rare special edition of Kim Vân Kiều (Kiều Tales) to honour the enduring value of Việt Nam’s most celebrated literary masterpiece on the occasion of the 260th birth anniversary of great poet Nguyễn Du (1765–1820), a World Cultural Celebrity.

The newly released volume is the first to unite three major cultural heritages in a single publication: Nguyễn Du’s immortal Truyện Kiều, the carefully translated and annotated quốc ngữ (the Romanised Vietnamese writing system) version by scholar Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh, based on the 1923 edition, and a collection of Kiều illustrations by renowned painter Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm that have never before been published.

The book represents a rare convergence of literature, language and visual art, creating a refined aesthetic space worthy of appreciation and rediscovery.

The 2025 special edition also revisits the long journey of transliteration, annotation and reception of Truyện Kiều in Vietnamese intellectual and cultural life over more than two centuries. Only 999 copies have been released, making it a highly sought-after collector’s item for bibliophiles and lovers of Vietnamese culture.

An illustration from the Kiều painting collection by celebrated artist Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm, published for the first time in the 2025 special edition.

On the same occasion, Nhã Nam has also published the original chaptered novel Kim Vân Kiều by Thanh Tâm Tài Tử (also known as Thanh Tâm Tài Nhân), translated by Tô Nam Nguyễn Đình Diệm.

Following the earlier release of Truyện Thúy Kiều translated by Bùi Kỷ and Trần Trọng Kim, the new publication continues Nhã Nam’s long-standing commitment to Vietnamese classics – works that helped shape the foundations of the nation’s literature, culture and quốc ngữ writing system, while still offering new ways of reading for today’s audience.

Nguyễn Du is revered as the national poet who elevated Vietnamese literature written in the Nôm script (the traditional demotic Vietnamese writing system) to its artistic peak.

Truyện Kiều is not only a literary masterpiece but also a cultural phenomenon that has endured in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people, inspiring research, criticism and creative adaptations in theatre, music, painting and cinema.

The work has been translated into many languages, becoming a cultural bridge between Việt Nam and international readers.

The poem’s publishing history is equally rich. It was first circulated in the Nôm script before being transliterated into quốc ngữ by generations of scholars.

The earliest quốc ngữ edition, Kim Vân Kiều truyện, transliterated by Trương Vĩnh Ký, was printed in 1875. This was followed by Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh’s influential quốc ngữ translation published in 1913, with revised editions released in 1915, 1923 and 1933.

An ink-and-wash illustration by master painter Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm evokes a quiet, poetic scene from Truyện Kiều, revealing the timeless dialogue between classical literature and modern Vietnamese visual art.

More than 200 years on, Truyện Kiều continues to captivate scholars and readers alike in their ongoing quest to interpret its depth and artistic beauty.

According to Professor Trần Đình Sử, Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh’s Kim Vân Kiều remains one of the earliest and most important quốc ngữ editions, helping contemporary readers better understand the process of modernising Vietnamese literature and the pivotal role played by early-20th-century intellectuals in promoting the national script.

The 2025 special edition allows readers to rediscover Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh’s scholarly contribution while also experiencing the poetic world of Kiều through the distinctive brushwork of Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm.

His paintings extend a tradition that began in the early 20th century with celebrated artists such as Nguyễn Tường Lân, Nguyễn Gia Trí, Trần Văn Cẩn, Tô Ngọc Vân, Lê Thị Lựu, Lê Phổ, Nguyễn Văn Tỵ, Nguyễn Đỗ Cung, Mai Trung Thứ, Vũ Cao Đàm and Mạnh Quỳnh.

With Nguyễn Du, Nguyễn Văn Vĩnh and Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm reunited in a single volume, the special edition stands as a moving tribute to past masters - and a reminder that Truyện Kiều is a story that can never truly reach its end. — VNS