The first volume of the “Living Heritage” series presents a storytelling approach to heritage through the inner world and global perspectives of more than ten accomplished Vietnamese figures.

At the “Heritage for the Future” exhibition, the digital book *The Universal Within – Vũ trụ của TÂM* was officially introduced. This marks the beginning of the Living Heritage publication series, initiated and editorially coordinated by Ms. Lưu Bảo Hương, Chairwoman of GG Corporation.

The first volume highlights the spiritual journeys of influential Vietnamese individuals across various fields—from science to arts and literature—such as Associate Professor – Dr. – Physician Phan Toàn Thắng, the first to develop umbilical cord membrane stem cell extraction technology; Niels Lan Doky (Đỗ Kỳ Lân), the Vietnamese-born “Jazz Knight” and legendary pianist knighted by the Queen of Denmark; author Xuân Phượng; and People’s Artist Bùi Công Duy.

“We didn’t want to create a book purely celebrating achievements. What matters is revealing the inner world of each character—the universe they built within themselves to overcome challenges and achieve lasting success,” Ms. Hương shared with Tri Thức – Znews.

The individuals featured in Volume 1 were born in the 20th century and lived through remarkable historical periods. Despite working in different fields, they share a common thread: they lived quietly yet created profound impact both domestically and internationally.

According to Ms. Hương, selecting older generations as the storytellers of heritage was an intentional choice by the editorial team. “Because they belong to a different era, their perspectives differ greatly from the younger generation today. But that difference is precisely the value worth passing on—not surface-level inspiration, but a lived experience spanning many layers of meaning.”

The publishing project was designed with global orientation from the outset. The book is bilingual (English – Vietnamese) and distributed worldwide on Amazon. All proceeds will go toward the development fund of the same name.

Author Trung Nghĩa, Ho Chi Minh City Reading Culture Ambassador 2023–2024, praises the significance of “The Universal Within”.

During production, the editorial team’s biggest challenge was not materials or technical aspects, but how to approach the characters’ inner depths. “How do you ask questions that lead them to share things they’ve never spoken publicly? That was the hardest—and most valuable—part of creating this book,” Ms. Hương said.

One of the featured individuals is People’s Artist Bùi Công Duy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. He shared that his reason for joining the project was the desire to pass down the values he has pursued throughout his career, especially to younger generations.

“I don’t expect readers to see me as a famous artist, but as someone striving to preserve and spread the beauty of Vietnamese art through music and emotion. The heritage I wish to leave behind is the way art can nourish the inner self and guide people toward kindness,” he shared.

Source: Znews