A person who dedicated his life to the folk culture of Nghe An province.
(Baonghean.vn) The late Professor Tran Quoc Vuong - a renowned archaeologist and folklore researcher - when meeting Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao in 2002, exclaimed in a poem:
"...From Thanh to Nghe is also not far off."
How did seventy years pass so quickly?
That treasure trove of folk literature
"Empty and full... stirring endlessly... never truly extinguished."
I visited Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao at the Quang Trung residential complex in Vinh City after his hospital discharge and witnessed his immense workload. His living and working space contained 48 volumes of manuscripts, some as thick as half a handspan, on folk culture and arts, and 15 bookshelves filled with books of all kinds, from ancient to modern, all bound in hardcover. He was from Hoang Hoa district, Thanh Hoa province, but he came to work in Nghe An in 1956, marking 55 years since 2011 – more than half a century of dedication to Nghe An. His life encompassed teaching, training, and mentoring teachers, while simultaneously collecting and researching folk culture and literature. His footprints have been left everywhere, from the plains to the mountains, from the lowlands to the highlands of Nghe An. Poet Le Duy Phuong was deeply moved by his extensive collecting work.
"...Folk song from Nghe An province
Hanging the hammock of life
"Teacher, from Thanh Hoa province..."
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Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao during his participation in the Folklore Conference in Bangkok (Thailand) in 1998. |
In addition to collecting folk literature, Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, as president of the Folk Arts Association, also presides over scientific conferences on the culture of various clans, on famous figures such as Nguyen Truong To, Nguyen Bieu, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Le Hong Phong, Phan Thuc Truc, and on the traditional culture of the North Central provinces. He also meets and holds discussions with folk culture researchers in Laos, Thailand, Guangxi University (China), and participates in the "Folk Culture and the Natural Ecological Environment" conference in Japan. Students and researchers from Japan, China, Russia, and France frequently visit his personal library to find materials for their research topics and scientific theses.
By 2008-2009, at the age of 75, Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao was still collecting research materials and leading the completion of the 22-volume "Nghe An Complete Chronicle," scheduled for completion in 2012. He was also writing the final chapter of the book "Nghi Loc District Gazetteer," which would be published early next year. Around the same time, the Vietnam Folk Arts Association would publish the 40-volume "Ninh Viet Giao Complete Works," of which 15 volumes have already been printed.
During a meeting with Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao, the Russian Vietnam scholar Niculin commented: "He is passionate about science and always full of plans for new books and articles.(1)" Associate Professor Ninh Viet Giao was awarded various medals and honors by the State, and the 2001 State Prize for Literature and Arts. At nearly 80 years old, he still works diligently like a silkworm spinning silk, wholeheartedly serving the people and his homeland of Nghe An.
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(1). According to the records of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chuong Thau in 2006.
Phan Xuan Thanh
