The scholarly monograph An Introduction to Chu Nom Grammatology by Prof. Nguyễn Quang Hồng, which was awarded the State Prize in Science and Technology in 2017, has now been officially introduced to Chinese readers through its newly published Chinese edition. Released by Bashu Publishing House in December 2024, the book comprises 520 pages and is part of the Vietnamese Humanities Research Series, curated by Prof. Liu Yuqun.
The Chinese translation was meticulously executed with high professionalism and dedication by translators Liang Maohua, Liu Yaqun, and Huang Tiandan. The translation process began before the COVID-19 pandemic and went through multiple stages of revision and refinement to ensure accuracy and relevance for a Chinese-speaking audience. After years of dedicated efforts, the translated edition was officially completed and published at the end of 2024.
The Vietnamese Humanities Research Series, curated by Prof. Liu Yuqun, is an essential collection that brings together significant research on the languages and cultures of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. The publication of this Chinese translation marks an important step in bridging scholarly exchanges between Vietnam and China, making invaluable knowledge about the Nom script more accessible to a broader audience.
📖 Read the 2009 book review [here].
Event Details:
Date: Thursday April 17th, 2025 , 6:15pm EDT
Location: The Heyman Center, Second Floor Common Room, Columbia University
Virtual Registration: Click Here
Book Content Overview:
The Vietnamese language offers a distinctive perspective on the vibrant and interconnected world of premodern Asia. Contemporary approaches to language history are often shaped by nationalist frameworks that seek to reinforce a specific nation’s cultural, social, or political identity. However, a deeper exploration of Vietnamese reveals a complex history of exchange and evolution that transcends the boundaries of modern nation-states.
Utilizing philological, textual, and comparative linguistic analysis, John D. Phan reconstructs the trajectory of a Sinitic language that once thrived in northern Vietnam’s Red River Plain—what he terms “Annamese Middle Chinese.” The rise and eventual decline of this language set in motion profound linguistic shifts, ultimately leading to the emergence of Vietnamese in the early centuries of the second millennium.
By weaving together linguistic, demographic, intellectual, and cultural threads, Phan situates the development of Vietnamese within the broader landscape of East and Southeast Asia’s cosmopolitan past. Lost Tongues of the Red River reveals how language serves as an intimate record of human interaction, offering invaluable insights into the complexities of history and deepening our understanding of the past.
About the Author
John D. Phan, Assistant Professor of Vietnamese Humanities at Columbia University, studies language history to uncover social and political dynamics, focusing on Sino-Vietic contact and the vernacularization of early modern Vietnamese society.
Experts Speaking at this Event
Mark Alves has taught ELAP courses at Montgomery College, researched Southeast Asian linguistics, co-authored ESL materials, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society since 2015.
Robert Hymes, Carpentier Professor of Chinese History at Columbia University, specializes in the social and cultural history of middle period and early modern China, with a focus on elite culture, kinship, medicine, religion, and social networks.
David Lurie, a professor at Columbia University, specializes in premodern Japanese history and literature, focusing on writing systems, linguistic thought, mythology, and the Japanese reception of Chinese texts.
Gray Tuttle, Leila Hadley Luce Professor of Modern Tibetan Studies at Columbia University, specializes in modern Tibetan history and Sino-Tibetan relations, focusing on Buddhism’s role and Tibet’s ties with the Qing Empire.
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For more details, visit the official SOFHCH event page.
The Vietnam Studies Center, Fulbright University Vietnam, is delighted to invite you to a special online lecture as part of our Vietnamese Culture Forum—a collaborative series with the Department of Vietnamese Studies at the University of Hamburg.
Memories, Tragedies, Beauty, and Resilience: An Afternoon with Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Date: Tuesday, 8 April 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (CEST) / 9:00 PM – 10:30 PM (Vietnam Time)
Location: Zoom Webinar
🔗 Join via Zoom Link
Webinar ID: 680 7584 0760
Password: 86140299
📝 Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/aZCmZY7YQL
Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated contemporary authors. Writing in both Vietnamese and English, her works—including The Mountains Sing and Dust Child—have received critical acclaim for their powerful storytelling and exploration of Vietnam’s complex history. Her literary voice resonates with themes of memory, trauma, resilience, and beauty, offering deeply human perspectives on the past and present.