Anyone who goes to Nghi Duc should take a look…

The Nghi Duc afternoon market doesn't have an official name. It's a temporary market, open in the afternoon, located next to a bridge and not far from a temple, so people call it "afternoon market," "bridge market," or "temple market" as they please. But no matter what it's called, the market's appearance remains unchanged, with a few makeshift stalls selling a little meat, fish, and vegetables. At the entrance, there's a sugarcane juice cart. I remember back then, my friend and I often walked past the afternoon market on our way home from school and occasionally stopped to buy sugarcane juice. A glass of sugarcane juice cost only a thousand dong, which we'd split. Even now, the cart is still in the same spot, only now they use electricity to press the sugarcane instead of hand-pressing it.

The roads in the village have now been paved with concrete.

You sighed and said, "What a strange place, nothing has changed in decades." I laughed and said, "Nghi Duc has changed a lot already. We'll find our way back home."

In reality, Nghi Duc has also changed; it's just that people tend to compare it to other places and therefore aren't satisfied. For example, the road running through the afternoon market or the roads within the hamlet, which used to be rough and rocky, are now paved with asphalt or concrete. Streetlights extend into the hamlet. The few remaining tiled-roof houses are now dwarfed by the newly built ones.

Back when I lived in Saigon, friends often asked me where I was from. If I answered "Nghi Duc," they'd spend a few seconds searching their memory for a place with that name, then shake their heads and say, "It's like a cotton field." So I'd explain again: "Nghi Duc is a mountainous commune in Tanh Linh district, Binh Thuan province. It's about 60 kilometers from Base 6, or about the same distance from Ong Don intersection going in the opposite direction…" You'd be suspicious, near "Lac Beach," right? Well, it's… almost. That "almost" distance is more than 20 kilometers, about several hours of cycling, but I'll accept it so you can get an idea of ​​my hometown. Now, you can just Google it and find out exactly where Nghi Duc is located. Nothing has changed, has it?

You said, "What you're saying is like comparing the days of eating potatoes mixed with rice to the days of eating white rice, where all that mattered was filling your stomach." I could only mumble in response, unable to explain to you that sometimes, those old things and the lack of change still linger in my mind. Returning to the village fields, seeing the rice stalks gently swaying, the scent of ripening rice reminds me of wading through ditches catching crabs and snails. Walking along the grid-like paths, stepping onto the iron bridge over the stream, passing the afternoon market, the banana groves... it all seems to still bear the imprint of my footsteps. And just at the edge of the hamlet, I see Auntie Three and Uncle Seven excitedly asking, "Just got back?", "How's business?", "Are your wife and children all well?"... Things we could never have dreamed of in the bustling city. Like you, if you hadn't seen the "afternoon market" almost exactly like it was 20 years ago, would you have been so eager to share it?

Rice plants are flowering in the fields of Nghi Duc.

Both you and I have traveled through many places, and sometimes, after being away for a few months, we find things completely different. Therefore, deep down, we always hope that our Nghi Duc will change even more, that the lives of our people will improve, and that we will no longer have to toil in the fields. But each place carries its own mission. If Binh Thanh, where you live, is noisy, bustling, and full of amenities; if Phu My, where I live, is filled with the sound of train whistles and industrial zones creating waves of people during rush hour, then Nghi Duc is peaceful, tranquil, and its people are simple and honest, like cassava and sweet potatoes.

Nghi Duc, a land located in the western part of Binh Thuan province. Even now, many people don't know whether this province belongs to Central or Southeastern Vietnam. But it is precisely because of its unique location that the people of Binh Thuan in general, and Nghi Duc in particular, have inherited the diligence and hard work of the people of Central Vietnam, as well as the chivalrous spirit of the people of Eastern Vietnam – "hardship and heroism." This was clearly demonstrated during the resistance against foreign invaders, and the title of "Hero of the People's Armed Forces" awarded to Nghi Duc by the Party and State in 1999 is a testament to this. Nghi Duc has nothing remarkable on the economic map; it's not a famous tourist destination that captivates visitors. This place, with its salty air and spicy ginger, only has an abundance of affection, making those who have left, like you and me, want to return for a few days during holidays and festivals.

Or take my grandmother, for example. She's 85 years old and couldn't live alone in Nghi Duc, so she had to leave to live with her children and grandchildren. But every afternoon, she looks out the window and reminisces about the land and people of the place where she spent almost her entire life. Then she hums:

Anyone who goes to Nghi Duc should take a look.

The spirit of community and neighborly love is enough to illuminate the heart…

The "Eastern Spirit" writing contest, organized by Thanh Nien Newspaper in collaboration with Phu My 3 Intensive Industrial Zone, is an opportunity for readers to share their deep affection for the land and people of the southeastern provinces (including Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai , Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City), and to contribute best practices, new models, and creative, dynamic thinking of the people of the Eastern region. Authors can submit entries in the form of essays, personal reflections, notes, journalistic reports, etc., for a chance to win attractive prizes worth up to 120 million VND.

Please send your entries to haokhimiendong@thanhnien.vn or by mail to the Thanh Nien Newspaper Editorial Office: 268-270 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (please clearly indicate on the envelope: Entry for the "Hao Khi Mien Dong " Contest). The contest will accept entries until November 15, 2023. Articles selected for publication in the Thanh Nien daily newspaper and the thanhnien.vn online newspaper will receive payment according to the editorial office's regulations.

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