Dong Linh Duong Phuoc Duc (1897-1958) - A Veteran and Confidential Journalist in Early Nineteenth - Century Vietnam

Abstract

Duong Phuong Duc, alias Dong Linh, was born in 1897 in Mai Linh village, Dong Duong canton, Thanh Oai district, Ha Dong province (present-day Dong Mai commune, Thanh Mai district, Hanoi). His father was a well-known cantonal teacher in Thanh Oai-Chuong My regions. Having been well educated and taught to appreciate the traditional values, in 1915 he began his writing career by working for the Trung Bac Tan Van newspaper. Known as a high-prolific professional journalist, he focused his writing on such topics as "promoting knowledge for the masses - preserving national characteristics and spirit", reflecting current social reality, promoting high morals and gratitude, diffusing world advanced cultural and scientific achievements. He was a teacher, translator, and above all, a pioneer in popularizing the national language in the first half of nineteenth century. The 1247-page "Dong Linh Duong Phuong Duc's Selected Works", published by the Literature Publishers, is the selection of his papers written during the period 1915-1956 which consist mainly of articles, short stories, poems, translations and extracts of missives.