Like a crane flying towards the sky.

In 1946-1947, he joined the Independent Theatre Troupe along with artists such as Dao Mong Long and Si Tien. The troupe toured the central provinces to promote and encourage the people's resistance against the French. In 1948, he was elected General Secretary of the Hung Yen Provincial Resistance Culture Association, and later appointed Principal of Phan Thanh High School (Thai Binh). In 1951-1952, he served as Principal of the Viet Bac Teacher Training School. From 1953 to 1957, he served as Principal of the Central Intermediate Teacher Training School. From 1958 to 1980, he taught at the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University. From 1981 to 1990, he taught at the Faculty of Literature and Journalism, Ho Chi Minh City University (now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City). Since 1988, he has been elected Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Research and Teaching of Literature. After his retirement, Professor Hoang Nhu Mai also served as Rector of Van Hien Private University and Principal of Truong Vinh Ki Private High School in Ho Chi Minh City. In 1984, he was awarded the title of Professor, and in 1990 he received the title of People's Teacher. For his contributions to the resistance war and national reconstruction, Professor Hoang Nhu Mai was awarded several prestigious medals: the Second Class Resistance Medal against the French (1961), the First Class Resistance Medal against the Americans (1985), and the First Class Labor Medal (1995).

From 1943, when he began his career in education, to the present day, exactly 70 years later, Professor Hoang Nhu Mai has wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the cause of nurturing future generations, as President Ho Chi Minh taught: "For the benefit of ten years, plant trees; for the benefit of a hundred years, cultivate people." Professor Hoang Nhu Mai was an educator, a cultural and social activist, and, moreover, a multi-talented artist. In 2005, the Education Publishing House published the work "Hoang Nhu Mai - Selected Works" (selected and introduced by Associate Professor Tran Huu Ta). This can be considered the culmination of a lifetime of writing, of high quality and exceptionally rich in content. The work consists of two main parts: Part one (Research and Criticism) includes research works on culture, literature, and Cai Luong theater. Part two (Memoirs and Creative Writing) includes memoirs, children's stories, plays, and poetry. As a student of Professor Hoang Nhu Mai, and later as a colleague teaching modern Vietnamese literature (from after 1945), I was fortunate enough to benefit from his "broken furrows" when I accessed the textbook "Modern Vietnamese Literature (1945-1960)" published by the Education Publishing House in 1961. Many generations of students from the Faculty of Literature (Hanoi University) still vividly remember the image of the teacher with his silvery white hair, bright, intelligent eyes, a naturally resonant and warm voice, and a demeanor that was both gentle and artistic on stage, who ignited the passion in studious students, further increasing their love for the country and homeland through the literary works that suddenly "sprouted wings" from his lectures. I believe the secret to his captivating audience was nothing other than his profound humanity and compassion for life. Or, in other words, his boundless kindness. Professor never engaged in grand pronouncements or lofty philosophical discussions; he was averse to academic and scholarly approaches. He possessed the ability to transform even the most complex things into something simple and straightforward. Only later, as an adult, did I realize: beauty lies in simplicity, just as truth is always simple. In 1986, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Faculty of Literature (Hanoi University), Professor Ho Chi Minh City came to join his colleagues and students in this grand celebration. Standing beside him, I felt as if he had brought the warmth of a sunny, windy southern land to the North during the cool October months. On that occasion, he wrote these simple, sincere, and moving lines of poetry: “Teachers, some gone, some still alive / Students buried in the battlefield / Thirty years, a journey / Coming here with both sorrow and joy / We pray to light a shared incense stick / May those who have passed away come together here” (Returning to the Faculty of Literature). In the collection "Hoang Nhu Mai - Selected Works," which includes 36 poems by the teacher, anyone who has the opportunity to read it will see a poetic soul, deeply immersed in life and people. Seemingly without technique, seemingly alien to any ideology, the teacher's poetry bursts forth from life, a life that is never discouraged. I think it is this optimistic, joyful spirit that helped the teacher live a long, healthy, and sharp mind as we see it today, before his passing.

The dedication to nurturing future generations that he devoted himself to for 70 years is a lesson, a shining example for younger generations of teachers to follow. But I also believe that, to create the depth, stature, and breadth of a true educator, from the beginning to the end of his educational career, he always had a profound and strong awareness of the connection between the school and society. I still remember the words he often reminded me of when I was his student: "Theory is gray, but the tree of life remains ever green." Throughout the years I (and many other colleagues) were guided by him, he always considered himself a patient ferryman, a perpetual gardener. That humble quality is not easily found in those around us. Looking at his biography, anyone can recognize a very simple truth: perhaps his success in life, as someone said, was due to "fate." But through the example of my teacher's tireless work, I see that it is the result of diligent and patient labor; the result of an unwavering belief in the ultimate victory of justice and beauty. My teacher's life was not simple or smooth, not just a path paved with fragrant flowers and intoxicating songs. Having been with him for many years, I have come to deeply understand that he was far more at ease and enlightened than many others, even in the most perilous situations in life. It seems he was never sad, nor did he fall into despair; it was as if he possessed the magical ability to create something out of nothing, to turn defeat into victory. Not at all; on the contrary, he knew how to harmonize his state of mind, understood the "threshold" of life, and knew how to "give" and "receive" in a harmonious way, according to Buddhist principles. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, at this moment, I don't want to talk about what the Teacher has accomplished, but I just want to reflect on and share one very simple thing – how the Teacher lived among us.

But alas, how many can escape the harsh law of nature: "birth, aging, sickness, and death"! Then comes the day no one wants, but cannot resist – the final return of humanity to the earth, perhaps because "people are the flowers of the earth"? Professor Hoang Nhu Mai passed away on September 27, 2013. My writing at this moment is like a heartfelt tribute to the soul of my teacher, your teacher, our teacher. At this moment, two special emotions suddenly surge within me: sorrow and pride. Sorrow for the farewell to a Human Being. Pride because this world once gave birth to a Human Being like Professor – People's Teacher Hoang Nhu Mai.