There was a time when Viet Bac was so beautiful.

In the literary landscape of the past 80 years, it's impossible not to mention the period of resistance in Viet Bac. The great names of resistance literature who wrote in this land, such as To Huu, Nguyen Dinh Thi, and Nam Cao, are always remembered. Writers whose authors were born and raised in Viet Bac (Viet Bac, our homeland): Nong Quoc Chan, Ban Tai Doan, Nong Minh Chau, Nong Viet Toai, etc., have produced many valuable literary and artistic works that contribute to a distinct segment of Vietnamese literature.

The introduction to the book "Viet Bac Boong Hay No. 2," published by the Department of Culture of the Viet Bac Autonomous Region on August 19, 1958, states: "Each beautiful autumn of the Vietnamese nation is an autumn of maturity for the people of Viet Bac, filled with joy through literature and poetry. For this place – a land rich in revolutionary traditions – is also the birthplace of many generations of outstanding writers and poets."

We had previously met and spoken with the Tay poet Nong Viet Toai, and this August, even at the age of 99, he remains sharp-minded and full of memories of a bygone era in Viet Bac.

Because Mr. Toai dedicated his life to researching ethnic culture and produced many valuable literary works that contributed to preserving and promoting the traditional culture of the Tay ethnic group, we would like to introduce him first. He was born in 1926 in Ngan Son, Thai Nguyen province. Mr. Toai loved literature and poetry from a young age. In 1958, in issue number 2 of the book Viet Bac Boong Hay, he published two works: a poem in the Tay language with a picture of President Ho Chi Minh and Tay lyrics for the song "Praising President Ho Chi Minh," with music composed by Luu Huu Phuoc.

The writer and poet Nong Viet Toai has written many literary works about the people of "Viet Bac boong hay".

Regarding poetry, several representative collections can be mentioned, such as: Rại róa vít pay (Eliminating outdated customs, published in 1956), Kin ngày phuối khát (Eat honestly, speak frankly, published in 1962), and Đét chang nâư (Midday sun, published in 1976). In prose, Nông Viết Toại wrote “Boỏng tàng tập éo” (The turning point), a lyrical prose work in which the national character is vividly portrayed, from speech and thought to behavior.

In 2019, the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities organized a seminar titled "The Life and Career of Tay Ethnic Writer Nong Viet Toai" to honor and acknowledge his contributions in both revolutionary work and literary and artistic creation.

The Dao ethnic poet Ban Tai Doan is famous for his poem "Uncle Ho's Salt," published in 1960, which is also the title of his first poetry collection, one of 13 collections he has ever written. September 10, 1959, marked a special event: the commencement of construction on the Ha Giang - Dong Van road. This miraculous 185km road began in Ha Giang town and ended in Meo Vac district. The road traversed a rocky plateau; before the road was built, the local people suffered immensely…

Poet Ban Tai Doan describes: "In the old days, a child cried, demanding rice with salt/Mother, where can I find salt, my child?/Hush now, your father will be back from the market/Buying a full jar of salt to soothe you/… Since Uncle Ho's cadres arrived/The market has plenty of oil, medicine, and flowery fabrics/Baskets of white salt overflowing/This is salt from the lowlands, Uncle Ho's salt…"

The construction of the Happiness Road was a testament to the determination of the leaders of the Viet Bac Autonomous Region, enduring many years of arduous construction until its completion in March 1965. This great achievement, accomplished by the volunteer youth of the provinces of Cao Bang, Bac Giang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, and Ha Giang, involved over 2.24 million man-days of digging and clearing nearly 3 million cubic meters of rock and earth, partly inspired by the poem by Ban Tai Doan.

In the introduction to the poetry collection "Bright Torch," printed in both Vietnamese and Dao languages ​​(National Culture Publishing House), it is written: "The poet's life can symbolize the transformation of the Dao people who were once struggling in poverty, backwardness, and disease."

Since the success of the August Revolution, the lives of the Dao ethnic group, including the poet himself, have been prosperous, with access to education and equal rights alongside other ethnic groups throughout Vietnam. Throughout his life, he was both a revolutionary activist and a writer, his poetry serving to propagate the Party's policies and guidelines.

From 1951 until his retirement as Vice President of the Viet Bac Literary Association, and even after passing away in his 90s, poet Ban Tai Doan continued to write poetry and prose. Over 80 years of writing, with nearly 20 volumes of poetry, his work was truly invaluable, making a significant contribution to the literature of ethnic minorities and to the entire Viet Bac region.

The prominent figures who participated in and directly used literature and art to praise their homeland and the life of the Viet Bac region during that era are always remembered and recognized: Nong Quoc Chan, Nong Minh Chau, Hoang Trung Thong… Because they contributed to promoting the cultural values ​​of a region within the common home of the Vietnamese Fatherland.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/co-mot-thoi-viet-bac-boong-hay-17c4c03/