Heartwarming human connection with 'Springtime in the Pottery Village'

Regularly after each Lunar New Year, I have truly meaningful moments at the beginning of the year in the program 'Springtime in the Pottery Village'.

Mr. Vu Dinh Manh (far left) - the person who brought the blood donation program to Bat Trang in 2020 under the name "Spring of Red on the Pottery Homeland".

My friend, Vu Dinh Manh, has been involved with the Spring Blood Donation Festival program for 10 years (from 2003 to 2012) as the Vice President of the Hanoi Youth Volunteer Blood Donation Movement Association. As a native of Bat Trang, he collaborated with organizations such as the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and Viet Duc Hospital to implement the Spring Blood Donation program in his pottery hometown.

The program is a beautiful aspect of Bat Trang pottery village, connecting artisans, potters, villagers, and tourists.

The "Springtime on the Pottery Village" event attracts people of all ages and professions – mostly young people from Bat Trang village and surrounding areas in Long Bien district (Hanoi) and Van Giang district ( Hung Yen ).

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan (right in the photo) - founder of the Spring Blood Donation Festival and the blood donation movement in Vietnam, was present at the 6th Spring Blood Donation Festival in the Pottery Village , held on February 14, 2025, for his 112th blood donation. “At the beginning of spring, I was able to donate my blood to bring about a new beginning for a life – that is truly a very happy thing,” Mr. Thuan said.

Running continuously from 2020 to the present, the program has contributed 1,500 units of blood to alleviate the post-Tet blood shortage, while also connecting people with a spirit of harmony, a beautiful aspect of Bat Trang pottery village, bringing together artisans, potters, villagers, and tourists.

Beyond being a blood donation center in Bat Trang, the organizers also incorporated programs rich in Vietnamese culture, providing blood donors with meaningful experiences at the beginning of the new year. The photo shows a performance by the Lac Village Art Troupe (Mai Chau, Hoa Binh), showcasing the spirit of the Northwest mountains, at the 6th "Spring Blood Donation in the Pottery Village " event.

During the program, participants can experience accompanying activities such as: visiting the pottery village, going to the rural market, picking lucky branches in the spring, enjoying spring tea, receiving calligraphy gifts, and receiving books as gifts at the beginning of the year…

A corner for receiving calligraphy at the blood donation event.

The author of this article at the 6th Spring Festival in the Pottery Village.

"There is a true spring blossoming in every member of the organizing committee, in me, and in the nearly 300 people present in this pottery-making homeland at this moment."

Those thoughts, those feelings, kept flowing through me, prompting me to type out these lines of poetry - dedicated to the volunteers and those participating in blood donation to save lives throughout Vietnam:

A gentle murmur of happiness fills each day.

It will extend the warmth to millions of hearts.

The drops of blood on the first day of spring sang.

Love songs open up countless journeys.

The crimson blood rekindles a million dawns.

And the joyful chirping of birds dispels the darkness of the night.

Every drop given saves a life.

Holding hands, we'll live a carefree life together.

Above all, giving is receiving.

For spring, new green shoots sprout.

The dark clouds disperse, and millions of smiles bloom again.

We have lived a life like a white cloud…

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/am-ap-tinh-nguoi-cung-xuan-hong-tren-que-gom-185250612101431545.htm