Culture - A Thread Connecting Vietnamese People to Their Motherland

All roads lead to the homeland

In September 2022, the Goethe-Institut in Hanoi and Zzz Review launched "My Vietnam" - a drama project about Vietnamese identity across borders participated by second-generation Vietnamese writers from the Czech Republic, Germany, France, and the USA. The project gives viewers unique perspectives based on each author's personal experience of "cultural identity" and the meaning of Vietnam in them.

Sharing his thoughts about his homeland, Maik Cay (Nguyen Phuong Anh), one of the My Vietnam's authors, said that the theme "meaning of Vietnam" is described through concerns about the role of Vietnamese women in different situations. Maik Cay took materials from folklore such as the legend of Au Co - Lac Long Quan, the story of betel and areca, the legend of Hon Vong Phu, and the play of Quan Am Thi Kinh to express the voice of Vietnamese women.

Meanwhile, author Do Van Hoang said: “When I think of Vietnam, I think of Hai Phong – my city. I left Hai Phong when I was quite young, but Hai Phong is always in me, with its embrace and tenderness. No matter where I go, what I do, Hai Phong always appears in all my works."

Leon Le, a Vietnamese-American actor and director known for the movie Song Lang, once said that art and culture help him to embrace his roots. At the age of 21, Leon Le succeeded as a Broadway actor and fashion photographer, but he still aspires to be a director because the job allows him to tell his stories about Vietnam through pictures.

Leon Le confided, even though he had become famous on Broadway, he still felt like an "outsider" in American life. Only when he returned to Vietnam to embark on the Song Lang project did he find a sense of fullness, connection, and immersion in the national culture. Song Lang was born from Leon Le's love for cai luong and Vietnamese folk values, reminding viewers of preserving traditional values.

Preserving Vietnamese culture in foreign lands

Ocean Vuong - a Vietnamese-American writer and novelist who is famous for his first novel "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" which has been translated into more than 30 languages, said that to him, the Vietnamese language feels like home. feel the warmest. “I am proud and excited that the novel will be published in Vietnamese - the language that is closest to the concept of 'home' and revives in me the affection of closeness, emotions and joy", Ocean Vuong said with Nha Nam publishing house when his book was issued in Vietnamese.

Ocean Vuong, a Vietnamese-American writer and novelist. (Photo: Ocean Vuong)

Leaving Vietnam for the US at the age of two, having achieved many successes in the US and other countries around the world, Ocean Vuong has always found a connection with his native language and culture. He said Vietnamese, wherever they live, need to know how to cultivate their Vietnamese roots.

Guitarist Tran Tuan An. (Photo: An Tran)

Guitarist Tran Tuan An, winner of many international awards, always brings Vietnamese songs to all of his performances. Studying music from the age of 8, just 4 years later, Tran Tuan An was called "music genius" by winning "Vietnamese guitar young talent" award. To pursue his dream of becoming a professional guitarist, Tran Tuan An left Vietnam for the US at the age of 15. He currently works at Northwestern University, USA and performs around the world. During the performances. Tran Tuan An said: "Only when performing abroad, I feel foreigners' great affection for Vietnamese folk music played on guitar."

Tran Tuan An's greatest wish is to compose Vietnamese songs, such as "Beo dat may troi", "Nguoi oi nguoi dung ve" to play on guitar. “I am a Vietnamese who love my homeland. I wish to become an artistic bridge connecting Vietnam with the world,” he said.

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