Chu Uyen Nhi is a freshman in the Class of 2029 at Fulbright University Vietnam. As a young culture enthusiast, Nhi hopes that traditional values won’t just be relics of the past, but a vibrant part of modern life.
Her journey began with a communications role at V’style, a company that specializes in traditional Vietnamese attire (Việt Phục) with the aspiration of breathing new life into these costumes. Nhi once cosplayed two iconic Vietnamese dishes, Bún bò Huế and Phở bò, using Nhật Bình court attire. The costume details, hairstyles, and headgear were all custom-designed to celebrate the culinary essence of these dishes, transforming familiar foods into a new artistic expression.
Cosplay often sparks a debate: is it preserving or breaking with tradition? For Nhi, the key lies in one’s perspective. If culture is treated as something static and untouchable, it can alienate the younger generation. To be nurtured and developed, culture needs new, creative, and relatable expressions. Nhi sees tradition like a relay race: each generation adds a new layer, while still carrying forward the essence at its core. Innovation, therefore, isn’t an act of abandonment but a way to continue and strengthen its vitality.
Nhi’s passion for storytelling about Vietnam first took root in the 9th grade, when she and 12 friends wrote the travelogue Miền Tây Du Hý (A Journey to the Mekong Delta). The book documents a 10-day trip exploring the Mekong Delta, from floating markets and student exchanges to interactions with people with disabilities in Cần Thơ. With its youthful curiosity and heartfelt simplicity, the book was published by Thai Ha Publisher and sold over 1,000 copies. Nhi contributed a chapter about her memories with four roommates – memories she describes as “a rare spice, something you can only sprinkle into the soup of life once in a lifetime.”
Nhi also shares the simple beauty of Vietnam through photography. Two of her works were selected by Toucher Art, a Paris-based organization that promotes Vietnamese culture, to be displayed in the Vietnam Heritage exhibition. Instead of technically complex photos, Nhi simply captured scenes of the market in her hometown of Hanoi, a place tied to her childhood market trips with her grandmother. The warm, yet chaotic, hustle and bustle of everyday life became the “authentic perspective” that this young local wanted to share with international friends.
Reflecting on her journey, Chu Uyen Nhi realized she never intentionally tried to “create” an identity. She simply followed what she loved: storytelling, documenting, creating, and sharing. It wasn’t until she was completing her Fulbright application and putting all the pieces together, that she discovered what had always been there: Vietnamese identity deeply embedded within her.
At Fulbright, Nhi hopes to continue nurturing and sharing her Vietnamese identity, to extend this personal journey and contributes to the community.
Thanh Mai.
