Google Doodle honors Sương Nguyệt Anh, Vietnam's first female newspaper editor
The Google Doodle of Feb. 1, 2023, honors Sương Nguyệt Anh, the first female editor-in-chief of Vietnam's first women's newspaper.
The Google Doodle of Feb. 1, 2023, honored Sương Nguyệt Anh. (Screenshot)
The introduction accompanying the Google Doodle emphasizes that she was the first female editor-in-chief of the first women's newspaper in Vietnam.
According to Google, on Feb. 1, 1918, the first issue of the newspaper Nữ Giới Chung ("Women's Bell") was published. Sương Nguyệt Anh served as its editor-in-chief.
Sương Nguyệt Anh was born on March 8, 1864, in the village of An Bình Đông in the former Bến Tre province in southern Vietnam (now part of Vĩnh Long province). Her father was Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, a poet who also taught her to read and write in both Chinese characters (chữ Hán) and Vietnamese Nôm script (chữ Nôm).
Sương Nguyệt Anh was also a poet. One of her best-known poems is about apricot blossoms (hoa mai), which is why the Doodle honoring her on Feb. 1 features these flowers.
The Google Doodle honoring Sương Nguyệt Anh was created by Hanoi-based guest artist Camelia Phạm.
Sương Nguyệt Anh was the daughter of the poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu. (Photo: Google)
The poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu died when Sương Nguyệt Anh was 24. She and her brother took over their father's school to teach local people. She later moved to Rạch Miễu in Mỹ Tho (now part of Đồng Tháp province), where she married and gave birth to a daughter. Two years later, her husband died.
Sương Nguyệt Anh (born Nguyễn Thị Khuê) became Vietnam's first female editor-in-chief when she began writing for Nữ Giới Chung in Saigon under the pen name Sương Nguyệt Anh, meaning "Nguyệt Anh the widow." Many issues of Nữ Giới Chung addressed the role of women in Vietnamese culture and society.
Sương Nguyệt Anh was known for her intellect and open-mindedness, as well as her resilience in overcoming adversity. The woman honored by the Google Doodle was a pioneer for female writers and editors in Vietnam and paved the way for later generations. She built relationships with people from all walks of life and treated them with respect.
Several streets are named after Sương Nguyệt Anh in cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Đà Lạt (now part of Lâm Đồng province) and Vũng Tàu (now part of Ho Chi Minh City).
