"The Flood Season Handbook" was written from the memories of our grandparents.

VHO - Based on stories from grandparents, parents, and those who have experienced historical floods in Hoi An, many students have recreated memories of the flood season through wall newspapers, documentaries, handcrafted models, and disaster prevention handbooks.

Stories that were once thought to be only memories are now retold through the perspective of young people, both evoking a sense of humanity in times of hardship and demonstrating the growing concern of the new generation for natural disasters, the environment, and coping skills in today's life.

The handbook "Guidelines for Flood and Storm Prevention in Central Vietnam" by the students of class 8/3, Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School.

Memories of the flood season through the eyes of young people.

The "Memories of the Flood Season - Stories from Our Grandparents" competition, organized by the Hoi An World Cultural Heritage Conservation Center in collaboration with the Live & Learn Center for Environment and Community, attracted over 200 entries from students in Hoi An, Hoi An Dong, and Hoi An Tay wards. After more than three months of launching the competition, 12 outstanding entries were selected for the final round and displayed at the Hoi An Folk Museum.

What stood out from the competition was how many students rediscovered memories of their families and communities through stories heard from grandparents, parents, neighbors, or those who had experienced major floods in Hoi An. Some recorded accounts of the great flood of 1999, some groups returned to Thanh Ha pottery village after the flood season to meet the locals, and some recreated images of boats navigating through deeply submerged rooftops, a familiar memory of the ancient town during each rainy season.

From these stories, memories of the flood season are no longer confined to adult narratives but have found their way into wall newspapers, documentary videos , handcrafted models, and disaster prevention handbooks retold in the language of young people.

Using cardboard, colored paper, scraps of fabric, and watercolors, the teachers and students of Nguyen Ba Ngoc Primary School created a model of a boat called "Memories of the Flood Season," winning first prize in the primary school handicraft category. The small boat evokes familiar images of Hoi An during flood season, when boats became means of rescuing people, carrying necessities, and connecting isolated homes amidst the rising water.

Many other products, such as the Flood Season Memory Box, the Ancient House by the River, and Human Kindness During the Flood Season , also vividly evoke the atmosphere of Hoi An during the days of rising water. These images not only depict scenes of fleeing floods at night or houses submerged in water, but also portray people passing around hot meals, people rowing boats to deliver supplies, and others opening their doors to welcome neighbors seeking temporary shelter when the water rose too quickly.

The major flood at the end of 2025 in Thanh Ha pottery village also became the subject matter for many competition entries. At times, the water was so deep that people had to travel entirely by small boats. After the flood, a group of students from Luong The Vinh Primary School returned to the village to meet and talk with the locals and create a magazine titled "Memories of the Flood Season - Stories from Our Grandparents ." From the stories they heard after the flood, the students understood why people in flood-prone areas always have to learn to live with natural disasters and recover very quickly after each flood recedes.

"We realized that many of the things our grandparents used to tell us weren't far-fetched at all, but are still happening around us," the group of students shared. For many young people, stories about the flood season are no longer just memories of the previous generation, but have become a way to better understand natural disasters, environmental changes, and how people in Central Vietnam have learned to live with floods for generations.

You have sought out many elderly people to hear their stories about the great flood of 1999 and the peak flood of 2025.

From stories to "guidebooks for life"

Drawing on authentic materials, many student groups have chosen to systematize folk wisdom into products relevant to contemporary life. Weather forecasts, ways to respond to rising water levels, and experiences in preparing for the rainy season and floods have been transformed into videos, graphics, and digital guides to make them more accessible to young people.

A group of students from Cam An Primary School created the digital product "My Hometown's Storm Season Handbook ," compiling knowledge about storms, floods, coastal erosion, and many real-life stories from the people of Hoi An. Besides information about natural disasters, the group also included risk prevention skills, environmental protection solutions, and designed interactive games to help viewers remember the information more easily.

Meanwhile, students at Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School chose to compile familiar experiences from Central Vietnam into a guide to flood and storm prevention in Central Vietnam . From observing the sky to predict storms and rain, to observing the direction of ants to predict rising water levels, to preparing supplies for floods, experiences once held in the memories of adults are systematically presented in visual language, easily accessible to students.

Many entries also showed that young people today are more concerned about natural disasters and the environment around them. A group of students from Huynh Thi Luu Secondary School argued that responding to natural disasters is not just the responsibility of adults, as teenagers can also contribute through small actions such as raising community awareness, sharing disaster prevention skills, or participating in environmental protection activities.

In the documentary "Listening to Grandparents Tell Stories - Floods and Hoi An Ancient Town," a group of students from Nguyen Binh Khiem Secondary School met with many elderly people to hear their stories about the great flood of 1999 and the peak flood of 2025. Through these stories, the students realized that memories of natural disasters are not simply old stories being retold, but also life experiences, and how people in Central Vietnam learn to adapt, support each other, and rise again after each devastating flood.

After the competition, what remains behind the displayed models and products is how today's young people listen to and continue to tell the stories of the flood season that were deeply ingrained in the memories of their grandparents, parents, and the community of Hoi An. Through this, they gain a better understanding of the harshness of natural disasters, the human kindness in times of hardship, and how their compatriots have learned to live with floods for generations.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/doi-song/cam-nang-mua-lu-duoc-viet-tu-ky-uc-ong-ba-231295.html