Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Old man owns over 5 million books

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Old man owns over 5 million books

With over 5 million books of all kinds, Nguyen Hong Sanh in the southern city of Vung Tau owns the highest number of books in Vietnam. Anyone who goes to Sanh’s house to seek books or search for data is warmly welcomed. Everyday he receives hundreds of people from everywhere.
When did you begin collecting books?
I studied literature at the Saigon Teacher Training College so I love reading and collecting books. Books are the greatest and closest teachers. They are also enthusiastic teachers. Even at 2-3 in the morning, if I need some knowledge, this teacher is ready. I don’t want to have only one enthusiastic teacher in my house, so I received one by one to my house…

In 1986, when the country entered the Doi Moi period, I was able to collect books. Each day I tried to buy books, both old and new, with all of my money. I tried to buy valuable books at any cost, even though I had to sell something in my house or I had to borrow money from somebody. All of my income was spent of books.

It is lucky that my wife could support my children. Apart from my salary, I also write songs and tuong and cheo scripts to support my family. I presently have around 70 scripts of tuong and cheo arts and around 8,000 moral songs.

Besides collecting books, do you have any other pleasure?

Yes, that’s don ca tai tu (traditional southern music). I was born in the southwestern region so I loved don ca tai tu when I was a child. Every Friday night, my friends would gather in my house to listen to my songs. I have around 50 don ca tai tu students.

What difficulties do you face in preserving your books?

In 1990 I lost up to 1,500 books within one night because of worms. After that accident, I had to rebuild the ground and buried dozens of kilos of worm-killing chemicals.

It is also very difficult to classify books. Sometimes someone comes to my house to borrow a book that I know clearly that I have it but I need several days to find it.

You have 5 million books. Are you still collecting books?

The number of books is increasing and decreasing every day. But now I don’t buy a lot of books because my house is small so I only choose valuable ones.

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.