Nguyen Du

In Vietnam's early Le Mat Nguyen Dynasty, Nguyen Du, also known as To Nhu or Thanh Hien, was a brilliant poet and literary writer. He was regarded as "the great national poet" by the Vietnamese people and recognized as a "World Cultural Celebrity" by UNESCO.

One of the most representative pieces of Vietnamese literature from the middle ages, The Tale of Kieu is regarded as a literary classic.

Since he was still alive, Nguyen Du's compositions have been in circulation. According to legend, Pham Quy Thich created and printed the Tale of Kieu at Hang Gai Street (Hanoi at that time). Soon after Nguyen Du passed away, King Tu Duc asked the provincial officials of Nghe An to gather all of his artifacts and bring them back to the city. Since then, Nguyen Du's literary legacy has continued to be gathered, studied, and disseminated. There are also questions over whether Nguyen Du is really the author of some Chinese poems. The creation dates of the works, including the period during which Nguyen Du authored Truyen Kieu, remain a mystery. Despite much effort, there are still significant differences in opinion among researchers.