Phan Khôi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phan Khôi
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 6 October 1887 Quảng Nam
|
| Died | 16 January 1959 (aged 71) |
| Parents |
|
Phan Khôi (born October 6, 1887 – died January 16, 1959) was a very important thinker and writer in Vietnam. He was a leader who inspired a movement called the Nhân Văn–Giai Phẩm affair in North Vietnam. During this time, scholars were allowed to share their ideas and even criticize the government. However, Phan Khôi was later punished by the Communist Party of Vietnam for his role in this movement.
Contents
Phan Khôi's Life Story
Growing Up and Learning
Phan Khôi was born in 1887 in a village called Bảo An, in Quảng Nam Province. His family was well-known and followed Confucian traditions, which is a system of beliefs from ancient China. His father, Phan Trân, was a respected scholar. His mother, Hoàng Thị Lệ, also came from an important family.
From a young age, Phan Khôi learned Chinese writing and read many books. He read about new ideas that supported civil rights and a modern society. This made him believe in fairness and progress for everyone.
In 1906, when he was about 19, he joined the Progressive Movement (Duy Tân). This group wanted to make Vietnam more modern and independent. Important leaders like Phan Chu Trinh and Huỳnh Thúc Kháng led this movement. Phan Khôi then moved to Hanoi to learn French and Quốc ngữ. Quốc ngữ is the Vietnamese language written using the Latin alphabet, which is what we use today.
In 1907, he joined a school called "Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục". This school was founded by Phan Chu Trinh and aimed to teach new ideas. But in 1908, the French rulers stopped the Progressive Movement. They arrested many members and put leaders in prison or even executed them. Phan Khôi was sent back to prison in his hometown. In 1909, he was set free and went to study at the Pellerin School in Huế.
Becoming a Teacher
In 1912, Phan Khôi returned to his village after his grandmother passed away. He decided to stay there and opened his own school. He started teaching young people, sharing his knowledge and progressive ideas.
In 1913, he married the daughter of Lương Thúc Ký. Lương Thúc Ký was also a teacher at another school that was part of the Progressive Movement.
Writing for Newspapers
Phan Khôi was a very famous writer. He used the pen name Chương Dân. He was known for his new, sometimes controversial, and revolutionary ideas. He wrote for many newspapers and magazines.
He wrote for Đăng Cổ Tùng Báo (1907), Nam Phong (1918), Lục Tỉnh Tân Văn, Hà Nội Thực Nghiệp Dân Báo (1920), Hữu Thanh (1921), Đông Pháp Thời Báo (1923), Trung Lập Báo (1924), and Thần Chung (1929).
Working as an Editor
Phan Khôi also worked as an editor for several publications. He was the editor of Phụ Nữ Tân Văn (1929), Phụ Nữ Thời Đàm (1932), and Tràng An (1934). As an editor, he helped shape the content and ideas shared with the public.
The Nhân Văn Affair
In 1956, Phan Khôi became a key leader in a movement called Nhân Văn - Giai Phẩm in Hanoi. He was the main editor and publisher of the magazine Nhân Văn. He also wrote for other publications like Giai Phẩm and Văn.
Many smart Vietnamese thinkers, like Nguyễn Hữu Đang and Trần Đức Thảo, joined Phan Khôi. They wanted to express their ideas and demanded important rights. These rights included freedom of speech (being able to say what you think), freedom of the press (being able to publish what you think), and democracy (where people have a say in their government). They felt that the Vietnamese Communist Party was not following the country's Constitution.
In December 1956, the Communist Party made these publications close down. By 1958, the government decided to act against the people involved. Many participants in the Nhân Văn–Giai Phẩm affair were arrested. Some were put in prison, while others were forced to publicly apologize for their actions. This event was later shared with the world in a book called The Nhân Văn Affair.
After this event, Phan Khôi was kept under house arrest by the Communist Party. This meant he could not leave his home freely. His ideas and writings were stopped from being published. Phan Khôi died suddenly at his home in Hanoi on January 16, 1959.
Phan Khôi's Published Works
Phan Khôi wrote many different types of works, including poems, essays, and short stories. Here are some of his published works:
- 1936 - Chương Dân thi thoại (Poems of Chương Dân)
- 1939 - Trở vỏ lửa ra
- 1955 - Việt ngữ nghiên cứu (Studies about Vietnamese language)
- 1932 - Tình già (Old Love - a poem written in a new style)
- 1918 - Bàn về tế giao (Remarks about diplomacy)
- Ngẫu cảm (a poem written in Chinese characters)
- Viếng mộ ông Lê Chất (Visiting the grave of Lê Chất - a poem in Chinese characters)
- Ông Năm chuột (Mr. Năm Chuột - a short story)
- Phan Khôi - Poems
- Phan Khôi: Thánh hiền ta đời xưa chưa hề có tư tưởng dân chủ
- Phan Khôi: Việt ngữ nghiên cứu
Phan Khôi's Lasting Impact
Phan Khôi was a key figure during a time of big changes in Vietnam. He helped people move from old Chinese ways of learning to new Western ideas. He quickly adopted these new ways himself and helped others in his generation do the same.
He learned from different cultures like China, Hong Kong, Japan, and France. He used all this knowledge to help his Vietnamese people.
Phan Khôi brought many new ideas to Vietnam. These included ideas for a new democratic society that respected human rights and civil rights. He also promoted equality for women and introduced new styles of poetry.
His poem "Old Love" was the first of its kind, inspiring many young poets to try new ways of writing.
Phan Khôi was also very interested in the roots of Vietnamese culture, especially the spoken Vietnamese language. This language had often been ignored by the educated class. His research, like Phan Khôi: Việt ngữ nghiên cứu, became a valuable resource for young Vietnamese scholars.
Phan Khôi was an intellectual who lived between different powerful forces: colonialism (when a foreign country controls another), nationalism (love for one's own country), and communism (a political system). Even though his efforts to raise awareness about human rights and good education were stopped by the Communist Party after 1956, his progressive spirit and ideas are being rediscovered by younger generations in Vietnam today.
