Vietnamese authors and artists share nostalgic childhood memoirs

In Vietnam, cultural figures and authors are sharing personal reflections on childhood and family during the Vu Lan season.

Author Võ Thị Diệu Hạnh recently launched her debut collection of essays, ‘Ngày ấy tuổi thơ tôi’ (Those Childhood Days), published by the Writers' Association Publishing House. Living in Australia, Diệu Hạnh wrote the 28-piece collection as a tribute to her late mother, capturing memories of her hometown in Da Nang, family life, and school days. The work serves as a way to preserve the precious, small details of a family history that she feared would be lost after her mother's passing.

Similarly, People's Artist Trần Lực shared nostalgic accounts of his upbringing, which was deeply intertwined with the performing arts. Growing up while traveling with his father for various theatrical productions, he was exposed to diverse traditional art forms including Tuong, Cheo, and Cai Luong. He recalled the warmth of his childhood through simple joys and the humorous, late-night debates between his parents, which shaped his early understanding of family life.