...To love this land even more

These days, in conversations everywhere, the words "Dong Hoi" are frequently mentioned. This once familiar name has become surprisingly "hot." People are discussing the future, especially among the enthusiastic young. Older generations, meanwhile, reminisce in the gentle breeze by the Nhat Le River, on park benches, recalling a time of hardship when they rebuilt the town together. The generation, as writer The Tuong once recounted, "Returning to Dong Hoi, lying on the newly allocated empty plot of land, looking up at the sky..." during the early days of the province's division and return to its old administrative boundaries.

Or they still tell each other about the history of a land with an ancient name, Dong Hai, stretching along the river to the sea, with many lakes, swamps, and white sand dunes of the past… Everyone has their own stories and memories about this familiar land…

For those of us who grew up in the rice-growing areas on the outskirts of the town, Dong Hoi was a new and exciting place. It was a place we learned to ride our bikes to the stadium to enjoy a refreshing ice cream, watch the crowds flock to watch football matches, and then return home, without even dreaming of getting a ticket to see the game. It was also about the days we spent happily going to Dao Duy Tu High School with our friends during our youth, and the leisurely strolls along the lush green willow trees, gazing out at the green Bao Ninh island during free periods… Everyone has their own reason to love and talk about Dong Hoi with such passion. To love even more the street corners, the roads, the rows of trees…

This city has everything one could ask for. It boasts ancient relics from a time of nation-building in the South. You can even touch the Quang Binh Gate – a majestic landmark on the ancient Thuy rampart system – all the way to the lighthouse at the sea entrance, which still diligently guides ships back to port today.

Flower lovers will find Dong Hoi charming in all four seasons. In spring, the Tet flowers burst forth in vibrant colors along every street, in squares, and in parks. In summer, the streets are ablaze with the fiery red of flamboyant trees, the fragrant purple of crape myrtle, or the rustling of bougainvillea along the riverbanks in a riot of colors. These flowers possess a vibrant vitality, much like the people of this place, who love the scorching sun and radiate a dazzling array of colors. Then, autumn arrives, bringing with it the cool air and the intoxicating fragrance of milkweed flowers. As the autumn breeze sweeps across the distant sand dunes, the deepening cold of winter makes the roses even redder, creating a dreamy atmosphere along the streets and at the foot of the ancient citadel, captivating passersby.

A Đồng Hội steeped in the mossy, ancient past, with its East Gate and Đồng Hới Citadel, the Tam Tòa historical site… harmonizes with a young, modern city rising in the sun, its reflection shimmering on the poetic Nhật Lệ River, sparkling and sparkling with colorful lights like fireworks at night. Rarely does a city possess both a river and the sea. The Đồng Hội city center and the Bảo Ninh peninsula are like outstretched wings, allowing the Nhật Lệ River to reach the open sea… It is these things that lead friends, colleagues, and tourists from all over the world, whenever they pass through or stay in Đồng Hội, to tell me: “Your Đồng Hội is truly beautiful.”

The modern and well-equipped urban center of Quang Binh today fully meets the needs of domestic and international tourists. From here, you can easily reach any tourist destination, such as Phong Nha, Vung Chua, the birthplace of General Le Thuy (the rice granary and famous folk song of Le Thuy), and many other places you might want to visit in Quang Binh, all within a relatively short distance. The convenient transportation system, including an airport, train, road, and sea routes, makes it easy to travel far and wide. Therefore, more and more people are choosing this place for their holidays with family and friends. Many have returned more than once.

For artists like us, there's no need for a campaign, no one has made an appointment, yet it seems there are quite a few works of art about Dong Hoi being created around this time. Perhaps, faced with significant changes and historical moments, many emotions have arisen, and each person wants to preserve their own memories of the land they are so attached to. Although each person chooses a different perspective, tells a different story in a different language, it shows that they all share a common story of love for Dong Hoi throughout their life journeys.

We—photographers—have the advantage of capturing vivid images of Dong Hoi today. Everyone understands that the images captured will serve as documentation for a period of future development, when Dong Hoi will become even more prosperous. Therefore, we've decided to gather our cameras and set out to record moments of the rhythmic life of the sea.

Soon, Dong Hoi will take on a new role, becoming the center of a region many times larger than it is today. It will continue to change and develop further, like the Nhat Le River that has flowed ceaselessly for millennia. We believe that tomorrow, the land we are connected to will soar to greater heights, making us love this land even more.

Nguyen Sa

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/van-hoa/202506/de-them-yeu-manh-dat-nay-2227132/