This diary in verse was composed from August 1942 to September 1943 when Vietnam’s national leader Ho Chi Minh was imprisoned in Guangxi province (China) by the kuomintang (KMT) government.

It is 9.5cm wide and 12.5cm long. It has 82 pages made of white do paper. The text comprises 133 poems writen in Chinese characters, of which 126 of Tang “Thất ngôn Tứ tuyệt” style (four verses, each consisting of 7 words).
The Prison Diary is one of our most precious legacies left to the nation and the world by our great national leader Ho Chi Minh. The diary is a strong embodiment of his revolutionary life and work. In addition to its historical interest and significance, the diary is imbued with profound humanity, the values it expresses reflective of the generous and humane mind of a Communist thinker and leader who devoted his entire life to Vietnam’s struggle for independence.


Dương Hà