At the end of 2025, surpassing nearly 100 contestants, Truc claimed the championship title at the “Future Talented Interpreters” competition, an academic playground for young people organized by the Faculty of Chinese Language and Culture under VNU Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies.

Four years earlier, Truc was the valedictorian for the entrance exam for the Chinese Language major at Hanoi University.

Asked about her study methods, Truc said she always focuses on listening attentively in class, and instead of staying up late, she wakes up early to study and has the habit of getting enough sleep each day. She said studying without a clear plan or method can negatively affect health and academic results.

Beyond academics, Truc is passionate about calligraphy and writes beautifully. She came to the art form by chance, inspired and guided in her first steps by her mother.

In 2023, when she was a first-year student, Truc was introduced to calligraphy during a time when her mother traveled to Hanoi to pursue her passion and develop this art form in Lai Chau. Her mother’s teacher was a well-known calligraphy artisan on social media.

Initially, Truc accompanied her mother out of curiosity and had no intention of learning. However, when encouraged by the teacher to try writing, she impressed him with a complete piece. Recognizing her potential, the teacher accepted her as a student. From then on, her love for calligraphy gradually took root.

However, Truc’s journey in pursuing calligraphy has not been entirely smooth. People underestimated her simply because she is young and female. Undeterred, she chose to continue striving and proving herself through her abilities, hoping to challenge stereotypes so that calligraphy is not seen solely as the domain of elderly scholars.

“As a young person in modern society, I think the biggest challenge in pursuing and preserving a traditional art like calligraphy is the ‘out-of-sync rhythm’ between the fast pace of the times and the slow rhythm of traditional art. Calligraphy requires time, tranquility, and persistent practice, while the modern environment easily distracts young people or discourages them due to slow progress. People are also accustomed to the image of elderly male scholars writing calligraphy, so young people like me, especially women, face more difficulties because of judgments about our skills and capabilities,” Truc said.

She added that practicing calligraphy helps her appreciate cultural values and cultivate patience. “Some strokes must be practiced hundreds of times, such as spiral dots or concentric dot strokes. I have to learn to be patient and maintain consistency,” she said.

Truc writes during holidays and Lunar New Year but also participates in activities such as writing calligraphy at pagodas, pedestrian streets, and cultural festivals. She organizes free calligraphy classes to help younger generations better understand and appreciate the beauty of the written word.

After three years, she has become one of the well-known calligraphers in Lai Chau and takes part in calligraphy events in Hanoi.

Every Lunar New Year, Truc assumes the role of a traditional “scholar” writing characters to gift others. “I want to spread and preserve the beauty of calligraphy and our cultural heritage. Seeing people, especially students, take photos showing the characters I wrote displayed in their study corners or in a place of honor at home makes me very happy,” she said.

This Lunar New Year, as usual, Truc attended cultural spaces and festivals to write and present calligraphy pieces. Most recently, she participated in a small calligraphy event organized by university students.

Looking ahead, besides continuing her studies and refining her strokes, she hopes to create a writing style that reflects her own identity and leaves a distinctive mark on her work.

“This is not easy, and not every personal style will be embraced. But I believe you have to try to discover your own potential. I understand that I should not become overconfident when praised, nor should I stop because of criticism. Youth requires courage to experience and commit,” Truc said.

She is also bringing calligraphy closer to young people through new approaches, including calligraphy-related content on her TikTok channel “Lac But Van Yen,” workshops, dedication pieces for temples and pagodas, and Tet and cultural events.

Thanh Hung