The 2^nd Son Tra Book Week, which took place from 6 - 10 July at the eastern end of Da Nang’s Rong (Dragon) Bridge, drew a great deal of attention from the general public. 

The stand of the Son Tra Han Nom Club at the Son Tra Book Week

Most notably, there was a special stand by the Son Tra Han Nom Club which featured many historical documents and books in the Han (Chinese script) and Nom (Vietnamese ideographical script) characters.  Interestingly, some of these documents proved that Viet Nam has established and exercised its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago in a peaceful and continuous manner, and in line with international laws.  There were also copies of valuable documents written in the Han script by the late State President Ho Chi Minh and by national hero Ly Thuong Kiet, who was a Vietnamese general and admiral during the Ly Dynasty.

In November 2015, the Son Tra Han Nom Club began offering free courses teaching the Han and Nom characters at the Continuing Education Centre No 1 on Nguyen Cong Tru.  Each course consisted of about 24 trainees, most of whom were elderly people, war veterans, retired government employees, or young people from across the city.

Despite his old age, Mr Nguyen Van Ban from Hai Chau District’s Thach Thang Ward is one of the diligent learners on such a course.  He eagerly said that learning Han and Nom characters has helped him understand more about the historical documents and books passed down by ancestors. 

Another learner, Ms Vo Thi Hien who is President of the An Hai Dong Charity and Children’s Rights Protection Association, said that by attending the class she aims to set a bright example about the traditional Vietnamese studious spirit for her descendants to follow.

In particular, every month the club invites Mr Pham Thuc Hong, a famous Han and Nom researcher from Hoi An, to teach.  Mr Hong shows a keen interest in teaching the learners about how to write calligraphy in Han characters.

The Chairman of the municipal Studying Promotion Association, Mr Tran Dinh Lien, said that such courses in the Han and Nom characters are considered practical models in the building of a learning society, and are especially helpful for preserving the types of scripts which have existed for a long time in Viet Nam’s glorious history.