♦ Dr. Luong The Anh

Hanoi - The capital with a thousand years of culture and civilization has become an appealing topic, the source of inspiration for the literary arts of the country in general, and for modern prose about Hanoi in particular. Over the periods, Hanoi has been depicted in various urban spaces, through the ups and downs of history, where the capital city’s people, history, culture, lifestyle, and society emerge as multi-faceted and vibrant. Throughout the journey, modern prose about Hanoi reflects various historical contexts, from the colonial and semi-feudal society before the August revolution in 1945, the resistance war of the country, the post-war era, the subsidy period, to the modern society with urbanization and integration. During each period, the image of Hanoi is portrayed by a variety of aesthetic values, from lyrical, critical, nostalgic, or reflecting modern-day city life. Through those literary pages, Hanoi emerges not only as a geographical space, but also as a space of memory and consciousness, a place where the dearest affections for a beloved Hanoi reside.

From a research perspective, modern prose works about Hanoi not only embrace literary and aesthetic values but also serve as a vital source of documentation for social sciences and humanities, history, cultural studies, ethnology, and urban studies. Those literary pages bridge the past and the present, contributing to the body of knowledge in “Hanoi studies” with insights into the city’s culture, society, and people.

1. Pre-1945 prose on Hanoi: lyrical and realist perspectives

The period before the August Revolution in 1945 is considered the formative years of defining modern prose writing about Hanoi, under the impact of Western culture and civilization. Modern prose in this period reflects the appearance of the urban, its people, and cultural life at the crossroads of East and West, ranging from the elegance and pastimes of the Trang An people to the initial social conflicts fueled by Westernized lifestyles.

The first author to be mentioned is Vu Trong Phung, who is a leading author of critical realism with literary works, namely Số đỏ (Dumb Luck, 1936), Giông tố (The Storm, 1936), Làm đĩ (To be a whore, 1936), or Kỹ nghệ lấy Tây (The industry of marrying Europeans, 1934). From the perspective of a sharp and cold pen, he directly looked at the downside of a colonial and semi-feudal urban society, and exposed moral degradation in a money-driven society where social evils were hidden behind the flashiness.  Through a satirical tone, Hanoi is reimagined as a place of clashes and conflicts of interest in an urban society with a half-baked Westernized lifestyle in the colonial era.

At the other end of the spectrum, Thạch Lam was born and raised in Hanoi, where he developed a deep affection for his birthplace. This love is vividly manifested in his collection of essays, Hà Nội băm sáu phố phường (Thirty-six Streets of Hanoi, 1943), where Hanoi is depicted through daily, intimate elements such as the streets, local delicacies, street cries of an ancient city, in a poetic and lyrical atmosphere. Through Thạch Lam’s literary works, Hanoi does not emerge as bustling or fast-paced, but rather rich in cultural identity, intertwined with the sophisticated and elegant lifestyle of the people of Trang An. In other works, such as Gió đầu mùa (The cold winds when winter begins, 1939), and Nắng trong vườn (Sunlight in the garden, 1940),  Thach Lam continued to explore the lives of ordinary people to reflect the depth of their souls and humanistic values. By that, he expressed a compassion for the poor from impoverished streets, and dwellers struggling to make a living in the colonial city.

During the same period of time, Nguyen Tuân approached Hanoi from a different viewpoint with the collection of essays Vang bóng một thời (Echo and shadow upon a time, 1940), where he depicts Hanoi as a symbolic cultural space, where the nation’s quintessence is preserved. Hanoi emerges through refined pastimes, culinary arts, architecture, calligraphy, and the etiquette of the intellectual class. With exceptional talent and wisdom, Nguyễn Tuân both reminisced about an ancient Trang An and was concerned about the risks of traditional values fading away amidst the urbanization brought by Western civilization. And by that, he contributed to preserving the true values of a Hanoi that is elegant, sophisticated, and rich in cultural values.

In general, during this era, prose has laid a foundation for exploring Hanoi, from the lyrical beauty to social criticism, creating a comprehensive picture of a city in transition.

2. Prose on Hanoi from 1945 to the Pre-Doi Moi Era: Hanoi during the resistance war

After the August Revolution in 1945, Hanoi, alongside other cities of Vietnam, stepped into the nation's enduring years of resistance. Modern prose during this period not only acted as a medium for authors to express personal emotions, but also to reflect the spirit of the era and link to the destiny of the nation. Modern prose on Hanoi developed strongly regarding both topics and the depth of content, focusing on describing people within the currents of history and profound social transformations.

From the first days of the resistance war against French colonialism, Nguyen Huy Tuong has contributed to constructing the image of Hanoi’s heroes through the novel Sống mãi với Thủ đô (Live Forever with the Capital, 1952). The novel has reimagined the fiery atmosphere of Vietnamese people during the national resistance war in 1946, with Hanoi residents, from the intellectuals to the working class, joining hands to protect each and every corner of the city. Hanoi here emerged with bravery, heroism, and unwavering determination, which has been crystallized by the context of the resistance war, where the Hanoians’ patriotism and indomitable spirit were challenged.

Writing about Hanoi but with another theme, Vu Bang, with literary works like Miếng ngon Hà Nội (Hanoi’s delicacies, 1952–1959) or later on Thương nhớ mười hai (Twelve months to remember, 1971), and profound love for his homeland Hanoi, has evoked signature specialties of Hanoi, for example, pho, bún chả (rice noodles with grilled pork), bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls), cốm Vòng (Vong village’s young green sticky rice flakes), etc. When writing about these signature dishes, with great detail, the author also described the landscapes, traditions, cuisine, and people in relation to the seasonal cycle and twelve months of the year. Through his brilliant writing, cuisine is portrayed as a distinctive cultural trait of  Trang An’s people. For the author, these delicacies were not merely flavors to be tasted but served as an iconic cultural symbol of Hanoi.

Continuing the inspiration of a heroic Hanoi, Nguyen Dinh Thi, with his epic novel series Vỡ bờ (The Breaking of the Dyke, 1962–1970) and various memoirs, has depicted Hanoi's beauty as traditional elegance blended with fighting spirit. Patriotism and the ambition to achieve national indipendence has become a source of motivation for Vietnamese people to create historical breakthroughs regarding cultural values, where the invincible power of the capital with a thousand years of culture and civilization combined.

In the subsequent years of the anti-American resistance war, Nguyen Tuan returned to the theme of Hanoi with the collection of essays Hà Nội ta đánh Mỹ giỏi (We Hanoi fight America well, 1972). Through his writing, Hanoi today did not emerge as a nostalgic space, but a vibrant bastion, where people work and fight under a hail of bombs. With courage, intelligence, and extraordinary endurance, Hanoians conquered the devastation of the war and perseverantly stood their ground, as proud as a symbol of patriotism and the power of their community.

Subsequently, after the country successfully achieved its independence and people around the country were freed from the war, economic hardships during the subsidy period still remained. Prose on Hanoi has timely reflected the people’s daily life and the transformation in the society and culture during the post-war period. Writer Ma Van Khang with the novel Mùa lá rụng trong vườn (Family of fallen leaves, 1985) has dived deep into traditional values in Hanoi’s families, where morals, rituals, lifestyle, customs, and responsibilities were challenged. By that, the author wanted to express the message about life, which is that even when things changed, the true values about morals, traditional cultures of Hanoians were still respected and sustainable.

Therefore, it can be seen that while prose written during wartime often values fighting spirit and collective ideals, post-war prose focuses more on daily-life stories, exploring psychological depths, memories, and domestic traditions, as well as reaffirming the intrinsic resilience of Hanoi through its people and culture.

3. Prose on Hanoi from the Doi Moi era to the present: Contemporary Hanoi, nostalgias and realities

The revolution era in 1986 has created profound transformations in people’s awareness and socio-economic status. In that context, prose on Hanoi possessed a nostalgic vibe of an old Hanoi that is slowly vanishing, while reflecting the downside of the rapid urbanization process.

One of the representatives of authors in this revolutionary era is Nguyen Khai with the short story Một người Hà Nội (A Hanoian, 1986). This story has portrayed the image of the Hanoians as elegant while facing societal shifts. Through the story’s characters, the author wanted to praise the Hanoians' resilience to live, the beauty of their souls and personalities during the revolution era. The author also wrote about traditional values, Hanoians’ resilience, and the enduring vitality of traditional values while facing the transformation of the era.

Continue to explore the theme of Hanoi’s streets, Bang Sơn, with the collection of essays Hà Nội rong ruổi quẩn quanh (Wandering in Hanoi, 2012), which has crafted an image of a contemporary Hanoi with vibrant streets. Thanks to meticulous observation, he described, from elegant pastimes to the humble charm of sidewalk tea stalls or night street cries, and by that, highlighting the magnificence of a poetic Hanoi, where a unique rhythm remained amidst the hustle and bustle of modern urban life.

Following the nostalgic flow, To Hoai, with literary works namely Cát bụi chân ai (The dust of human footsteps, 1992) and Chuyện cũ Hà Nội (Old stories of Hanoi, 1992), has reimagined sophisticated handicrafts, wedding customs, traditional Lunar New Year celebrations, and street life, evoking a sense of nostalgia for an old Hanoi that is slowly fading. His literary works are also regarded as a vivid archive of documents on cultural history and urban life of Hanoi in the 20th century.

Turning to contemporary authors, Nguyen Ngoc Tien, in works such as Đi ngang Hà Nội (Walking across Hanoi, 2012), Đi dọc Hà Nội (Walking along Hanoi, 2012), and Đi xuyên Hà Nội (Walking through Hanoi, 2015), not only writes about the familiar old quarter, but also explores Hanoi’s expanded areas that are transforming day by day. Đỗ Phấn, with works like Vắng mặt (Absence), Rừng người (Forest of People), and Đi xuyên Hà Nội (Walking Through Hanoi) in 2017, has described Hanoi, with the old quarter being obscured by skyscrapers, where people lived in crowded urban spaces but still felt lonely and out of place. Nguyen Viet Ha, with works such as Con giai phố cổ (The Old Quarter boy), Buổi chiều ngồi hát (Afternoon singing), and Thị dân tiểu thuyết (Urban novelists) in 2019, has depicted Hanoians during the revolution era, who maintained their elegance and haughtiness while facing the hustle and bustle of urban city life.

The next young author to be mentioned is Uong Trieu, with works such as Hà Nội-Quán xá phố phường (Hanoi-Eateries and streets, 2018), Hà Nội-Dấu xưa phố cũ (Hanoi-Traces and old streets, 2020), and the novel Hà Nội những mùa cổ điển (Hanoi and classical seasons, 2024) has portrayed an ancient and memorable Hanoi. Bình Ca with Quân khu Nam Đồng (Southern military region, 2015) has reminded readers of the bygone days of the capital, and that even when Hanoi changes, the unique identity of this city is still preserved.

In conclusion, after the revolution era, prose on Hanoi has transcended the stream of nostalgia to provide a truthful reflection of the ongoing modernization and urbanization processes. Contemporary prose on Hanoi has provided an extended picture of this city, from traditional space to modern urban life and digital space.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that contemporary prose on Hanoi plays a vital role in preserving the image of this capital throughout various historical periods. From the colonial era and the resistance war to the revolution era and urban integration as today, Hanoi emerges as a city that is both ancient and modern, intimate yet constantly transforming. The worth-cherishing thing is that, along with artistic values, these literary works also provide readers with vivid documents about the culture, lifestyle, and people of Hanoi. Thanks to literature, Hanoi is not only viewed as a geographical space but also a place where memories, traditions, and urban identity reside.

During the period of strong integration, further exploring and promoting this genre of prose not only helps preserve the capital’s cultural heritage but also helps position Hanoi alongside other major global metropolises around the world./.

REFERENCES

1.  Nguyen Tuan (1983), We Hanoi fight America well, Hanoi Publishing House; Nguyen Tuan (2022), Vang bóng một thời, Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House; The selected works of Nguyen Tuan (2024), Literature Publishing House.

2.  The selected works of To Hoai (1987), Literature Publishing House; To Hoai (2000), Old stories of Hanoi, Hanoi Publishing House.

3.  Nguyen Khai short story 1 (2003), Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House; Nguyen Khai (2020), A Hanoian, Literature Publishing House.

4.  Nguyen Đinh Thi’s complete works – Book I, Book II (2009), Literature Publishing House.

5.  The selected works of Vu Trong Phung (2015), Literature Publishing House; Vu Trong Phung (2020), Dumb Luck, Literature Publishing House.

6.  The selected works of Thach Lam (2019), Literature Publishing House; Thach Lam (2021), Thirty-six streets of Hanoi, Literature Publishing House.

7.  Vu Bang (2009), Hanoi’s delicacies, Labour Publishing House.

8.  Ma Van Khang (2011), Family of fallen leaves, Youth Publishing House.

9.  Bang Son (2014), Wandering in Hanoi, Kim Dong Publishing House.

10.  Nguyen Ngoc Tien (2017), Walking across Hanoi, Youth Publishing House.

11.  Đo Phan (2017), Absence, Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House.

12.  Nguyen Viet Ha (2018), The Old Quarter boy, Youth Publishing House.

13.  Uong Trieu (2018), Hà Nội, Hanoi Eateries and streets, Literature Publishing House.

14.  Binh Ca (2018) Southern military region, Youth Publishing House.

^[1] Hanoi Metropolitan University