Cover These are the families that have, are, and will continue to serve as a silent source in the veins of Vietnamese heritage, where the values of enlightenment, scholarship, art, patriotism, and justice resonate through the present and the future
These are the families that have, are, and will continue to serve as a silent source in the veins of Vietnamese heritage, where the values of enlightenment, scholarship, art, patriotism, and justice resonate through the present and the future
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The influence of heritage families lives on daily in Vietnam, their legacies not only inscribed in history books, but kept alive across generations.
Throughout history, there have been families whose presence reflects the cultural essence of the nation. Over many generations, they have been like boats sailing against the current, quietly preserving the cultural soul amidst the shifting tides of time. Though the world changes, their values remain passed down through education, art, the spirit of enlightenment, and a steadfast devotion to the nation. These are the bloodlines that have, are, and will continue to nourish the Vietnamese spirit—like a whisper from the past that connects to the present.
Over the decades, the legacy of these families has continued to flourish—not only through their legacies, books, and personal accomplishments, but also through the quiet, steadfast way they pass the torch to the next generation. They teach their children to remember their roots while not fearing the world beyond. Their lives are like ancient trees with deep roots and a far-reaching canopy.
Above These families appear throughout history, using their presence to reflect a part of the nation’s cultural identity
These families appear throughout history, using their presence to reflect a part of the nation’s cultural identity
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Tran Van Khe—Tran Quang Hai: Vietnamese music soul through Eastern and Western rhythms
The Tran Van Khe family hails from My Tho, a region where many Southern cultural currents converge, particularly the tradition of folk music. Many members of this family have pursued traditional arts such as reformed opera, ceremonial music, and folk music, and they have always maintained a habit of studying and collecting books from the French colonial period.
Professor Tran Van Khe, a representative of the family, was not only a music scholar but also an internationally influential cultural researcher. He became the first Vietnamese doctor of musicology in France, taught at the Sorbonne, and was honoured as an honorary member of the International Music Council (UNESCO). He devoted his life to heritage research and education, playing a pivotal role in introducing Vietnamese traditional music to the world as an integral part of national cultural identity.
Above Professor Tran Van Khe was not only a music scholar but also an internationally influential cultural researcher
Professor Tran Van Khe was not only a music scholar but also an internationally influential cultural researcher
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He lived and taught in France, writing hundreds of articles and research papers in French, English, and Vietnamese to bring traditional Vietnamese music to global attention. His open-mindedness and ability to harmonise East and West, academia and public life, remain defining features of his scholarly approach.
Above Professor Tran Van Khe dedicated his life to research and teaching, playing a crucial role in sharing traditional Vietnamese music with the world
Professor Tran Van Khe dedicated his life to research and teaching, playing a crucial role in sharing traditional Vietnamese music with the world
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Professor Tran Van Khe’s son, Tran Quang Hai, followed in his father’s footsteps as the fifth-generation descendant of court musician Tran Quang Tho. Growing up in a household steeped in music, Tran Quang Hai began studying the violin at the Saigon Conservatory of Music and Drama before travelling to France to further his professional development. It was here that he charted his own course, switching his focus to traditional musical instruments, later defending his doctoral thesis with great success.
Above Mr Tran Quang Hai is the fifth-generation descendant of court musician Tran Quang Tho
Mr Tran Quang Hai is the fifth-generation descendant of court musician Tran Quang Tho
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Tran Quang Hai made a lasting impact with his research into two-tone harmony singing, a distinctive vocal technique, as well as spoon tapping and the performance of the Jew’s harp. By introducing the folk spoon to the international stage, he was honoured as the “king of spoons” after winning the Cambridge Folk Music Festival (UK) in 1967.
Above Following in his father’s footsteps all his life, Tran Quang Hai devoted his tireless passion to the cause of folk music
Following in his father’s footsteps all his life, Tran Quang Hai devoted his tireless passion to the cause of folk music
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Throughout his life, Tran Quang Hai dedicated himself with unflagging commitment to traditional music, preserving, continuing, and spreading his father’s legacy. In 2017, he donated all his books, tapes, and music research materials to the Vietnam National Academy of Music as a gesture of generational entrustment. Two years later, he published two parallel research works in the US: 50 Years of Researching Vietnamese Traditional Music and Hat Dong Song Thanh—the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to the singing traditions and heritage of his homeland.
Ton That Family—From Confucianism to Modern Medical Heritage
Originating from the heart of the capital, the Ton That family is a branch of the Nguyen royal family, yet it soon transformed, becoming a symbol of the fusion between Eastern academic traditions and Western scientific principles.
At the core of this transformation stands the family of Professor and Doctor Ton That Tung, a prime example of the intellectual class of the early 20th century. These were individuals who carried the national spirit while pioneering the national renewal process through modern knowledge. Professor Ton That Tung hailed from a noble family in the Nguyen Dynasty (his father, Ton That Niem, was Governor of Thanh Hoa).
Above Professor, Doctor Ton That Tung is a typical example of the intellectual class of the early 20th century
Professor, Doctor Ton That Tung is a typical example of the intellectual class of the early 20th century
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Born in 1912 in Hue, Ton That Tung was one of the first anatomists in Vietnam. He pioneered liver surgery in the country and developed the world-renowned “dry liver cutting” technique—a revolutionary method in medicine at the time. Overcoming significant obstacles, he became the first Vietnamese to defend his doctoral thesis in medicine at the Indochina Medical University in French, and was later appointed an honorary professor at several prestigious international universities.
During the resistance war, Ton That Tung left his academic post to return to the Viet Bac resistance base. There, amid hardship, he continued his medical practice and research. He was appointed Director of the Viet Duc Surgical Institute and served as Minister of Health from 1968 to 1981. As a pioneer in the development of resistance medicine, he championed the motto: “using science to serve the resistance, using resistance to train science.”
Above Doctor Ton That Tung is not only a great physician, but also a father and spiritual teacher to a new generation of intellectuals—including his son
Doctor Ton That Tung is not only a great physician, but also a father and spiritual teacher to a new generation of intellectuals—including his son
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Not only was he a distinguished physician, but he also served as a father and spiritual guide to a new generation of intellectuals, including his son, Ton That Bach. A renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, Ton That Bach followed his father’s path, both in his professional career and his approach to society. He served as Director of Viet Duc Hospital, was a National Assembly delegate, and earned the trust of the people, embodying medical ethics and devotion.
From father to son, the Ton That family has not only continued the medical profession but also upheld a respectable intellectual character: humble, dedicated, and always placing the community's welfare above personal fame. The manuscripts, research works, lectures, and thousands of surgeries they left behind are testament to an enduring legacy—where medicine transcends a mere profession to become a mission as well as heritage.
Above From father to son, the Ton That family not only succeeded each other in medical expertise but also preserved a respectable intellectual character
From father to son, the Ton That family not only succeeded each other in medical expertise but also preserved a respectable intellectual character
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Today, though Professor Ton That Tung and Doctor Ton That Bach have passed away, their presence remains in the halls of Viet Duc Hospital, within the pages of medical textbooks, and in the memories of patients—like a timeless flow of knowledge, morality, and national spirit.
Nguyen Van Vinh—Nguyen Nhuoc Phap: From national language to aesthetic spirit in literature
Amid the intellectual currents of the early 20th century enlightenment movement, where scholars not only wrote and worked in journalism but also laid the foundations for a new culture, Nguyen Van Vinh emerged as one of its pioneers. He helped introduce Western rationalism to Vietnam and became a prominent figure in national language journalism and modern literature.
Born in 1882 in Hanoi, Nguyen Van Vinh was among the first Vietnamese to use French as a tool for reform. He was the heart and soul of Indochina magazine, later Luc Tinh Tan Van, and was a strong advocate for the popularisation of the national language, viewing it as the key to ushering the nation into the modern era. His translations of La Fontaine’s Fables and The Tale of Kieu into French exemplified his belief in “translating to understand, to learn, to enlighten”.
Above Mr Nguyen Van Vinh was one of the four great Western-educated intellectuals of our country in the early 20th century
Mr Nguyen Van Vinh was one of the four great Western-educated intellectuals of our country in the early 20th century
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Yet his legacy extends beyond journalism and language. In a society marked by tensions between Confucianism and science, feudalism and modernity, Nguyen Van Vinh advocated for reconciliation—embracing the new while preserving one’s identity.
This spirit was carried on by his son, Nguyen Nhuoc Phap, who inherited his father’s intellectual legacy along with a poetic soul rich in aesthetics. Born in 1914 and passing away at an early age in 1938, Nguyen Nhuoc Phap left his mark with the poetry collection Ngay Xua, symbolising the delicate, pure beauty of pre-war literature.
Above As the son of scholar and literary translator Nguyen Van Vinh, Nguyen Nhuoc Phap became a symbol of the Vietnamese intellectual spirit: sharp but not extreme, modern but not superficial, always striving for a sustainable culture amidst the changes of the times
As the son of scholar and literary translator Nguyen Van Vinh, Nguyen Nhuoc Phap became a symbol of the Vietnamese intellectual spirit: sharp but not extreme, modern but not superficial, always striving for a sustainable culture amidst the changes of the times
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In Ngay Xua, readers are transported to pagodas, ancient streets, and a soft nostalgia for the elegance of Hanoi. His poetry tempers the father's rationality, transforming it into an artistic spirit—where beauty becomes a form of heritage and cultural salvation.
If Nguyen Van Vinh was the one who paved the way for the national language to take root across society, then Nguyen Nhuoc Phap demonstrated that it could also serve as a medium for expressing beauty and emotion. This family, therefore, stands as a symbol of the Vietnamese intellectual spirit: sharp without extremity, modern without superficiality, always striving for a sustainable culture amidst the ever-changing tides of time.
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