90 old people self-study Han Nom to find sovereignty over Hoang Sa

90 elderly people self-taught Chinese characters and together translated and researched ancient documents about Vietnam's sovereignty.Malefor Hoang Sa

The house of Mr. Ba - full name Huynh Phuong Ba (82 years old) is in a tiny alley in Hoa Thuan ward (Hai Chau district, Da Nang city). The house has become a "special" classroom, because it is only for the elderly to teach each other Han - Nom characters.

Mr. Ba's class organizes study sessions twice a month for seniors who are passionate about Han-Nom characters.

Silver-haired student

The class has always been a source of curiosity for the people around. Because on the 1st and 15th of every month, 90 white-haired “elders” (60-90 years old) gather to study. Studying all their lives like that still doesn’t satisfy them. They are passionate about learning Han-Nom characters to ponder over their old age.

The class was opened in 1995 and now many seniors have mastered Chinese-Nom characters and can study ancient Chinese characters. At first, the class was only for Mr. Ba's friends. Then the class was disbanded because the seniors could not handle it. Mr. Ba did not give up and continued to open the class, recruiting students until 2009, when the class had over 30 seniors studying.

Although their eyes are weak, if they see words that are too small or blurry, the elderly use magnifying glasses to read and study.

So Mr. Ba began to prepare lesson plans for the class in his own way. Those who finished the four textbooks compiled by Mr. Ba had a good command of Chinese characters and could translate and read them easily. It took 5-6 years to finish the four books. The small house of Mr. Ba and his wife became a Chinese-Nom library, with books piled up like mountains.

In between classes, the elders sat together, chatting about life, drinking tea and enjoying music. Elders from Thanh Khe, Cam Le, Hai Chau, Son Tra districts heard the news and came to Mr. Ba's house to ask to study. There were all kinds of elders participating, from journalists, engineers, lawyers, teachers... and most of all, old veterans. Up to now, the class has up to 90 elders who both study and play, and it is also a place to learn to educate their children and grandchildren.

The elders were engrossed in listening to lectures on Chinese characters and helping each other learn.

“Most of the elders are still lucid, their health is sometimes good, sometimes bad, but they still study and research diligently. But some elders have to drop out of school because of their health and illness,” Mr. Ba confided.

Walk to class

When going to Mr. Ba's class, some go by bicycle, some walk, some are stronger so they ride motorbikes. All kinds of vehicles fill the yard. Some even ask their children to take them there and pick them up at noon.

“My children and grandchildren are very happy to see that I am eager to learn, happy and have friends to play with. Studying in my old age is also to set an example for my grandchildren. I feel so sorry if my children cannot take me to a day. If I miss studying for a day, I will lose a lot of knowledge. I am so sad and regretful,” Mr. Pho Duc Vuong confided.

The student in the class who lives the farthest away is Mr. Nguyen Van Hien (Duy Son commune, Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam).Male). Twice a month, Mr. Hien drives a total of 160 km to class. Many people say he is so eager to learn that he is not afraid of wind or rain. So sometimes he seems reckless.

Mr. Hien said: “I was helpless with Chinese characters so I was determined to learn them. I went to several places to study but found that I couldn’t do it, so I went to Da Nang to study with the elders. Now I have learned quite a bit of knowledge, I can read a few couplets and understand the meaning of some ancient sentences.”

Mr. Ba said: "Some people can write a character a hundred times and still not remember it. To learn Chinese characters, one must have health, time, passion, not worry about material life, and must have intelligence."

Contribute to sovereignty

Currently, they are responsible for translating historical documents from Chinese-Nom into Vietnamese for cultural units and Da Nang City. Not willing to stand still in the face of current events, they have also "rushed" into translating and introducing ancient documents of the Nguyen Dynasty related to Vietnam's sovereignty.Malefor the Paracel Islands.

“We have examined and translated the 1838 map “Dai Nam Thong Nhat Toan Do” which has notes and drawings about Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa. This can be considered a small act of old age in response to the concern about sovereignty,” said Mr. Ngật (84 years old).

Mr. Ba and others translated and researched ancient Chinese documents to learn and affirm that Hoang Sa's sovereignty belongs to Vietnam..

In addition, they also participated in translating and publishing the books: "Hoang Sa island" excerpted from Phu bien tap luc; Ministry of Public Works under Minh Mang year 17 (1836) reported on the transfer of wooden pillars to mark Hoang Sa; Ministry of Public Works under Thieu Tri year 7 (1847) reported on the postponement of the Hoang Sa survey.

As for Mr. Ba, he was fluent in French and Han-Nom, so he translated and reviewed the book “The Awakening of Indochina Economy”. The book has a lot of information about the French publishing documents showing Vietnam’s sovereignty.Malefor Hoang Sa. The book also records the Hai Duong government'sMale(China) admits that Chinese territory does not include Hoang Sa - Truong Sa.

According to Tintuc-M