The article aims to clarify the combination characteristics of autobiographical and fictional elements in Vietnamese novels in the 21st century. Through the analysis of several representative literary works, the results showed that writers incorporate personal experiences into artistic fiction as a mode of expression—articulating the self, exploring inner life, and reflecting spiritual transformations within the context of modern society. This approach not only highlights the expressive value of autobiographical and fictional elements but also affirms the central role of the individual self in 21st-century Vietnamese literary creativity, while at the same time revealing significant transformations in the artistic mindset of the novel during this period.

This article aims to analyse the transformation of Vietnamese literature since the Doi Moi reform in 1986, highlighting its journey of keeping pace with contemporary times while preserving national identity. With a renewed artistic mindset, modern writing techniques, and an expanded range of themes, literature has been able to reflect contemporary life profoundly. Artistic methods such as the stream of consciousness, nonlinear structures, and intertextuality have been flexibly employed, contributing to a new and dynamic face of Vietnamese literature. However, the core of national culture has been preserved by maintaining its distinctive cultural elements in both the creation and reception of art, especially within the context of globalisation and modernisation. This process of modernisation has been conducted in a spirit of creative acculturation rather than passive borrowing. As a result, artistic creativity in Vietnamese literature during the Đổi Mới period has both kept pace with the times and preserved the national identity.