Vietnam Poetry Day was celebrated in many cities and provinces nationwide. At the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Vietnam Poetry Day was observed with a festival honoring humane literary and poetry values and introducing contemporary poems. Poet Huu Thinh is President of the Vietnam Writers’ Association:“In the last 13 years, Vietnam Poetry Day has become a new and elegant cultural festival for poetry lovers nationwide. Vietnam Poetry Day is one of the most special events of the world’s 26 famous Poetry Festivals”.

The event honors poetry values of literary works of the past and present. Vietnam’s contemporary poetry features the Vietnamese people’s life, their renovation, national construction and defense cause and enriches their souls and personality. Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu said: “Vietnamese poem readers and lovers have responded to Vietnam Poetry Day more enthusiastically. They are all aware that there is a day of the year called Vietnam Poetry Day, during which they can share their love for poem and literature and their enthusiasm for preserving the beauty of traditional culture. The event inspires love for poem and literature. The poetry event at the Temple of Literature has become a regular meeting place for both poets and poetry lovers”.

This year, the Vietnam Arts and Literature Association invited foreign writers and poets to participate in the event. Attending this year’s event, poets of the EU delegation to Vietnam organized several activities to introduce contemporary European poetry to Vietnamese poetry lovers. On the occasion, contemporary Vietnamese poems were introduced to foreign poem lovers. French poet Andre Velter represented poets of the EU delegation to Vietnam: “Participating in this event, I had an opportunity to meet and talk with Vietnamese poets. I’m very excited about this event. It attracted a lot of people. The event promoted not only poetry and literature but also all expression arts, performing arts, dancing, and music”.

A stage for children was set up at this event. On the stage, children recited verses they composed and verses in their favorite collections including those in “From a Corner of My Yard” by Tran Dang Khoa, and “Sky and eggs” by famous poet Xuan Quynh.  Vu Thi Quynh Lien is Deputy Director of the Kim Dong Publishing House: “Poetry is the best and the most beautiful way for children to approach language and tone. The children’s poetry stage is of great significance for poetry readers and lovers. We hope that by revitalizing poetry works in new styles, children will have a new way to approach poetry”.

Since its debut in 2003, Vietnam Poetry Day has been an annual cultural event attracting an increasing number of poets and readers. It has become a national tradition, taking place in many provinces and cities to honor poetry, which has been an integral part of Vietnamese culture for thousands of years.