(VOVworld) – In the boom of mass media, there is a man who has passionately collected and kept old books and magazines, not only to indulge his passion, but to preserve human knowledge.

Second-hand book collector Phan Trac Canh (Photo: tuoitrethudo.vn)

In Hanoi’s bustling old quarter is a house at No5 Bat Dan street which is a quiet world of books and magazines, all second-hand, lying in piles. The owner of the house is Phan Trac Canh. Books and magazines are everywhere in the house. They are piled on stairways, floors, tables, on any spot that is empty. There are so many books they can be measured in tons. Mr. Canh has collected old books for more than 30 years. Many are volumes of Vietnamese geography from Ha Giang, the northernmost point of Vietnam, to Ca Mau, the southernmost point; books on Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minority groups; and Statistical Yearbooks of Vietnam from 1953 to 2014. Mr. Canh also collects Vietnamese magazines: “I think each book has its own soul. If you and the book are fated, it will find a way to come to you. Books play an essential part in my life”.  

Mr. Canh used to work for the library of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, giving him an opportunity to read and collect books. To expand his treasure trove, Canh sought rare books from the people who collect old newspapers and books. Canh says it did not cost a lot to buy books at that time, but it required a lot of time and effort to find a rare book. Ms. Dao Thi Mao, Canh’s wife, said in the difficult subsidy period, she worked hard to take care of the family and support her husband’s passion for books: “We had four children, so I had to do part-time work to earn extra income to support the family. My husband focused on doing research and looking for books. Most of my husband’s income was spent on books”.

Mr. Canh says his life can be divided into two periods. In the first half, he dedicated himself to contributing to society. After his retirement, he continued to contribute, but in a different way. Wishing to help students and researchers, Mr. Canh set up an international bookstore. Many researchers have come there looking for books and documents about Hanoi and Vietnam. A reader sent Canh a letter calling him “loyal to the past, present, and future”. A prisoner asked Canh to give him some books to enrich his knowledge. Le Si Tu, a regular customer of Canh’s developed a passion for literature and became a literature teacher: “Books were something rare in my student days. To borrow a book, you had to go to the library and follow a lot of procedures. There was only the Hanoi-Sai Gon bookstore on Trang Thi street. Then I found Canh’s store. I could borrow books and didn’t have to pay anything”.

Mr. Phan Trac Canh and a Japanese researcher.

Japanese Professor Takao, a regular customer and close friend of Canh’s, says Canh can’t retire because many people still need him.