Some newspapers refer to him as “The Creator of Hán-Nôm Software HanoSoft“, while others call him the one who “brings Hán-Nôm to the digital age“… Numerous phrases have been used to describe him, the IT knight of 2005, teacher Tống Phước Khải, the author of the exclusive product “Made in Vietnam” in the fields of typesetting, printing, and archiving Hán-Nôm documents.
This is the story of a young teacher who spent over five years developing a sophisticated software just to “release it“… for free. There are certainly at least two similar products by overseas Vietnamese with features akin to Tống Phước Khải’s Hanosoft. However, considering the capabilities, scale, and craftsmanship of the Hán-Nôm dictionary set, Hanosoft stands out as a superior product.
HanoSoft: The Real Dream of Teacher Khải
We are at the Fine Arts Department of Hong Bang International University, where Teacher Khải teaches computer graphics. We were fortunate to attend one of his lectures. About 50 students sat attentively in front of their computers, enthusiastically following his instructions. Although he covered basic graphic drawing, the class was captivating and extremely engaging because “Teacher Khải often provides lively examples and creates a very relaxed atmosphere with jokes“.
Teacher Tống Phước Khải shared: “While working at Hong Bang University, I had the opportunity to interact with sketches by Dr. Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng in the typesetting room. This was a collection of Heli Ugi’s sketches, many of which incorporated Nôm characters. They depicted the ethnic cultural traits of the early 20th century and explained them using Nôm. I began to wonder why it was so difficult and started to figure out how to apply it in the digital realm“.
With a passion for work and research, Teacher Khải explored an entirely new field.
In 2000, Tống Phước Khải began his research and creation of the Hán-Nôm typing software. He taught himself Hán characters and tirelessly searched for dictionaries to read. After nearly two years of self-study with little success, he boldly approached the authors of those famous dictionary collections, presenting his ideas and persuading researchers to assist him. Whether it was due to his kind face, earnest nature, or his commitment to keeping promises, the Hán-Nôm typing software was born a year later.
From the Hán Việt Universal 2 typing software running on Song Kiều, Tống Phước Khải upgraded it to Hanokey 1.0. This independent typing software uses Unicode font standards and can run on Windows 9x, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. The Hán font set contains tens of thousands of characters, including Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, Korean Hanja, and Vietnamese Nôm characters.
“Initially, I developed the typing software for researchers who needed it to type books and documents. I guided them on how to type and copied CDs for them. Once they could use it, they found it enjoyable and useful“, Phước Khải recounted.
Now, with the release of Hanosoft 2.0, a software suite that integrates font conversion features: Hán-Việt, Việt-Hán dictionaries, and an online Hán-Việt dictionary, all totaling a few megabytes, lightweight, easy to install, and user-friendly, Teacher Khải has become a young ally to renowned Hán-Nôm researchers such as Trần Văn Chánh and Cao Tự Thanh…
From the perspective of a professional Hán-Nôm researcher, Cao Tự Thanh believes the software has some shortcomings in terms of the Hán-Nôm vocabulary included, which is due to the author’s limitations. He highly appreciates this software: “The Hanoshop software is very convenient for both professional and amateur Hán-Nôm researchers. I consider it an excellent tool for lookup, at least much more beneficial than traditional methods“.
The Success of Tống Phước Khải’s Product Surpassed His Own Expectations
Tống Phước Khải’s freely shared Hán-Nôm software not only supports graphic design tasks in Photoshop and Corel for creating packaging, wedding invitations, and business cards but also assists researchers and typesetters of Hán-Nôm texts, making it easier to access Hán-Nôm documents, which was previously quite difficult.
Mr. Trần Mạnh Tuấn, Deputy Head of the Science and Technology Department at Hong Bang International University, stated: “Khải’s Hán-Nôm software allows us to read and understand all the characters we discover. For instance, the work of Heli Ugi, a French researcher of Vietnamese aesthetics, is entirely explained using Hán-Nôm. Thanks to Khải, we now understand what they mean. It discusses the folk activities of Vietnam”.
Creating Software Out of Passion and a Knightly Spirit
When Khải’s software was released, many newspapers reported on it, and the influx of letters and emails congratulating him and asking for usage instructions was so overwhelming that Teacher Khải could hardly keep track. He felt happy that many people were using his software.
HanoSoft became “famous“, yet few knew that after classes and extra work, its creator, Tống Phước Khải, returned to a small attic deep in an alley of the bustling city. This small attic in his grandmother’s house was modest and lacked the touch of a woman’s hand, where every night, Teacher Khải diligently worked on software upgrades and user support.
Leaving his hometown of Bến Tre in the 11th grade, the barefoot student Tống Phước Khải ventured to Saigon to study. He worked various jobs until he graduated from the Mechanical Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology… Born in 1974, he is now at the age of “thirty“, yet Khải remains empty-handed.
Phước Khải confided: “I believe Hán-Nôm is essential for those who study culture. Truly, those who cherish culture and study Hán-Nôm want to understand the origins of our ethnic culture, with the goal of serving our culture. Thus, the HanoSoft software must be distributed for free, not for market economics“.
With such a natural mindset, Khải has accomplished extraordinary things remarkably effortlessly. For the youth, justifying selfless actions is defined as a passion: “I love the Vietnamese language. I think preserving the cultural identity of Vietnam begins with learning Vietnamese from its roots—namely, the historical Nôm characters—and enabling ourselves to use Hán-Nôm through computer software“. For Khải, overcoming challenges posed by Hán-Nôm is akin to surmounting obstacles in life.
This aspiration drives Khải to develop a larger community-focused software that particularly opens new prospects beneficial for an entire culture: the Hán-Nôm literary heritage will be digitized and made available for free download on the Internet!
“In the near future, Hán-Nôm researcher Cao Tự Thanh will release a free Vietnamese dictionary with Nôm and Hán characters. I have offered to collaborate with him, assisting in programming. Additionally, the Nôm Horison association in the U.S. intends to create an online dictionary based on a recently published dictionary to help read Nôm characters. I will be responsible for programming this free dictionary“, Khải revealed.
“Tống Phước Khải is a researcher who never stops“, remarked Mr. Trần Mạnh Tuấn from Hong Bang International University. His passion for IT, enthusiasm for exploring ethnic culture, and an inherent knightly spirit continually motivate him to contribute more to the community. Khải could certainly profit from his creations, but he willingly chooses to prioritize community service. For us, those who have accompanied him throughout this journey—visiting schools, meeting researchers… and finally, after much effort, being led to visit his humble attic—we feel joy and happiness in sharing with individuals like Teacher Tống Phước Khải. We are even happier knowing that IT is the means that is bridging gaps, bringing opportunities to everyone.
