"Staying overnight at the Nguyen Kings' house" - A special stay at Hue Imperial City

Within the framework of the Hanoi Book Fair 2023, Nha Nam organized the exchange session "Hanoi Villages and Streets" , introducing two books by writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien: "Hanoi still has a bit of this" and "Overnight at the Nguyen Kings' House" .

At the event, writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien shared with readers interesting information about Hanoi past and present, things that he wondered about and then found answers for himself and readers.

The exchange session "Hanoi Villages and Streets" received many questions and lively discussions from readers who love Hanoi and appreciate the writings and confidences of author Nguyen Ngoc Tien.

Qua đêm ở nhà các vua Nguyễn - Lần đặc biệt nghỉ lại Hoàng thành Huế - 1 — Writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien (left) at the exchange on the evening of October 8 (Photo: Nha Nam).

"Hanoi still has a little bit of this"

Hanoi is a name, a land, a very special topic: people talk about it forever, write about it forever, but it seems like there is no end to it, no boredom.

But perhaps Hanoi would not have survived so well without talented storytellers. Nguyen Ngoc Tien is a good and engaging storyteller about Hanoi.

Every time he writes about Hanoi, he always keeps in mind: he must write something unique, tell stories that others want to listen to.

Qua đêm ở nhà các vua Nguyễn - Lần đặc biệt nghỉ lại Hoàng thành Huế - 2 — Cover of the book "A Little Bit of Hanoi" (Photo: Nha Nam).

It is still the same streets, the same characters, the same events, but he never rewrites what is already known, or repeats what people have heard before. Everything appears new under his meticulous observation and humorous writing style.

The author's perspective on Hanoi covers everything from history, geography, culture to small stories in the life and lifestyle of urban people.

Observing in both breadth and depth, combining the practical experiences of a person who is daily attached to Hanoi with investigations and descriptions in documents and books, Nguyen Ngoc Tien shows how interesting and rich Hanoi is.

"Staying overnight at the Nguyen kings' house"

This book is a collection of articles expressing the author's views and reflections on Vietnamese history, culture, and society in the past and present.

Nguyen Ngoc Tien recounted a special time when he had the opportunity to stay in the Hue Imperial City, he chose to rest right on the floor of Can Thanh Palace. This palace floor used to be a luxurious and splendid forbidden palace, used as a resting place for the Nguyen Dynasty kings, but now it is just a cold, desolate ground.

In that special context and space, the author has the opportunity to reflect on history, from which he can associate and reflect on the present and on human affairs.

Qua đêm ở nhà các vua Nguyễn - Lần đặc biệt nghỉ lại Hoàng thành Huế - 3 — Cover of the book "Staying overnight at the Nguyen kings' houses" (Photo: Nha Nam).

Reading Nguyen Ngoc Tien's books, the interesting thing is that they always have the flavor of both research and essay, with the objectivity of a journalist, but also the passion of a writer. In his books, there is always the appearance of a person who travels and writes.

The essay collection Overnight at the Nguyen Kings' House is a distillation of his experiences and thoughts about his country, in which the concerns of a wanderer with a deep love for the mountains and rivers are condensed.

Writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien, 65 years old, was born in Hanoi. He has spent most of his life in his hometown, working for nearly 30 years as a reporter for the Hanoi Moi newspaper. He has published many books, including essays, research and literary works.

He was awarded the Bui Xuan Phai Prize for Love of Hanoi 2012 and the Hanoi Literature and Arts Prize 2012.

In 2023, writer Nguyen Ngoc Tien was honored as "one of the ten outstanding citizens of the Capital".

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