Ha Nam Ninh has spent 40 years collecting, translating, and reviving Thai cultural heritage through its written language.
Ha Nam Ninh, a cultural artisan from Ba Thuoc commune, Thanh Hoa province, is not only passionate about collecting ancient Thai scripts but also the creator of a customized writing system for the Thai people of his region.
A lifelong connection with ancient Thai script
Ha Nam Ninh has spent half his life collecting ancient Thai script. (Photo: Le Duong)
In a rapidly modernizing world where traditional values risk fading away, Ha Nam Ninh (born in 1949) has quietly spent the last 40 years preserving the cultural legacy of his ancestors.
In Thanh Hoa, when it comes to collecting ancient Thai scripts, Ha Nam Ninh is widely known as a "living archive" of Thai culture. He has dedicated more than half his life to tirelessly researching and preserving every character and every page of these timeworn manuscripts, each containing the wisdom of previous generations.
Ninh was born and raised in the mountainous western part of Thanh Hoa, home to long-established Thai communities. As a child, he listened to khaps (Thai folk songs) and khua luong rhythms, and often saw old books carefully stored in wooden chests by elders. Those strange symbols on yellowed pages sparked a lifelong curiosity.
"When I grew up, I realized that writing is the soul of a people. If their script disappears, a part of their culture vanishes too. That thought drove me to embark on this difficult path," Ninh shared.
One of the ancient Thai manuscripts collected by Ninh. (Photo: Le Duong)
Books written in ancient Thai script dating back hundreds of years. (Photo: Le Duong)
To obtain rare documents, he journeyed through highland villages across Thanh Hoa and sometimes even traveled to border districts. He knocked on doors, spoke with village elders, and asked about handwritten manuscripts, old books, or forgotten letters. Sometimes he would discover entire chests of ancient texts, but often, he returned empty-handed.
In many cases, he had to buy the old books from locals who no longer valued them. Some were decaying, with barely visible ink. Patiently, he would dry them in the sun or over smoke, then transcribe them page by page. After decades of effort, his personal archive has grown to include hundreds of valuable materials: from mo books (ritual guides), folk poetry, and traditional calendars to handwritten teaching materials for Thai script.
According to Ninh, ancient Thai script comes in several variations, evolving across regions and time periods. This makes deciphering the texts particularly challenging. It sometimes takes him a month to interpret just one passage. Yet, for Ninh, the challenge fuels his passion.
Decoding a cultural treasure
Ninh personally compiled a new Thai script system for the Thai people of Thanh Hoa. (Photo: Le Duong)
Beyond collecting, Ha Nam Ninh taught himself to read and translate ancient Thai documents. His knowledge of modern Thai and deep understanding of local customs helped him gradually unlock many cultural mysteries hidden in the texts.
“The ancient Thai book collection is rich and diverse. It contains folk literature, traditional medicine, village regulations, wedding customs, and agricultural knowledge. Particularly noteworthy are the mo and ritual books, which preserve ancient chants reflecting the Thai people's vibrant spiritual life. Translating and recording these texts not only helps me understand my ethnic culture more deeply but also preserves this body of knowledge for future generations,” Ninh explained.
His work goes beyond preservation and research. Ninh also created a unique Thai writing system tailored for the Thai people in Thanh Hoa. In 2022, Thanh Hoa province approved a project to preserve and develop the languages, scripts, attire, and traditional crafts of local ethnic minorities through 2030.
His home has become a "red address" for those studying ancient Thai script. (Photo: Le Duong)
Under this initiative, the provincial Ethnology and Anthropology Association was assigned to lead the collection, compilation, and digitization of the languages of the Muong and Thai peoples. Ninh was appointed head of the script development team.
“Our Thai script is based on the ancient version but improved in terms of phonetics. We added consonants, tones, and syllabic elements. It has gone through several rounds of academic discussion and is now awaiting official provincial approval,” he said.
Recognizing that young people today know little about the ancient Thai script, Ninh began offering free classes at his home. His students include local teachers, cultural officers, and even university students from Hanoi and Nghe An who come to study at his “red address” of Thai heritage.
Now in his twilight years, Ha Nam Ninh continues to diligently work with his aged books. His modest home resembles a miniature library, filled with dozens of chests containing rare materials. He likens his work to “keeping the fire alive” – a fire that not only warms his own soul but also lights the way for future generations.
In recognition of his contributions, in 2015, the President of Vietnam awarded Ninh the title of “Excellent Artisan” for his outstanding achievements in preserving and promoting ethnic cultural heritage, contributing to national development and defense.
Vietnamnet.vn
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