Some thoughts about the book "Random thoughts about the land and people of Phuong Lau commune"

Phuong Lau is the old name of Ngoc Thanh commune (Kim Dong) today. This place name has existed since ancient times. During the Nguyen Dynasty, in the 12th year of Minh Mang (1831), Phuong Lau was a commune of Thanh Cu commune, Kim Dong district, Khoai Chau prefecture. Located on the left bank of the Red River, Phuong Lau was built up by the alluvial layers of the mother river - the Red River.

The name Phuong Lau originates from the legend of 99 phoenixes from other places coming to perch on this land, passed down through many generations. The legend is both real and unreal, and is still hidden in the customs, cultural, social and economic life of the people here. The story is said that, a long time ago, a flock of phoenixes flew over this land, saw a river, alluvial land, green and fertile trees, and roads connecting to many places in the region, and charming scenery, 99 phoenixes swooped down to perch, but the leader still circled around a few times and then continued flying north. The other 99 jumped up and followed. The perching places of the 99 phoenixes were high mounds, with dense trees growing, sacred, and people did not dare to live there, becoming the burial places of the deceased. Many mounds, ancient people built temples as places of worship. The name Phuong Lau also originated from that. Phuong Lau is read as the phoenix tower - the place where phoenixes perch. Many names are associated with Phuong Lau such as: Phuong Pagoda, Phuong Market, Phuong Ferry, Phuong Port.

Born on the land of Phuong Lau with many layers of cultural sediments, author Doan Van Thuong is always concerned with the history, traditions, and cultural values of his hometown. That prompted him to compile the book "Random thoughts on the land and people of Phuong Lau commune". The book consists of 2 parts, 6 chapters, more than 400 pages thick, published by the Social Sciences Publishing House in 2024. With the style of expression "write what you know, write what you see, understand what you write", the book takes readers back to the history of the formation of Phuong Lau land, the changes of the village due to time, natural flow, and historical flow. In particular, the book is a valuable source of materials to help readers delve into the cultural values of the community of Phuong Lau land and people such as folk knowledge, folk culture... There are values that have been lost, which the author has painstakingly searched for and exploited to clarify the historical and cultural values of the land. With reliable data, the author has determined the space, time, cause and development process of the land and people here, the process of forming style, customs, and cultural traditions of Phuong Lau people; arguments clarifying the origin of the village/commune name; the transformation of the Red River and the formation process of Bong Coi beach (Middle beach), the alluvial beach on the Red River has directly impacted the land and people of Phuong Lau.

To compile this book, in addition to reading reference materials, the author went on field trips, met and learned, collected information from the elderly in his hometown and some provinces and cities across the country; collected information about families, clans, and stories passed down in local folklore. The author had the idea many years ago and started writing this book a few years ago. With the hope that, through the book, the children of Phuong Lau homeland in all parts of the country and abroad will read, understand, and be proud of their "birthplace", always preserve and promote traditions and look back to their homeland.

Graduated from Hanoi Pedagogical University I, majoring in History, author Doan Van Thuong worked at the Military Culture School ( Ministry of National Defense ), Principal of the Intermediate School of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Hung Yen province, now retired. He participated in compiling the book History of Kim Dong District Party Committee, volume 1 (1930 - 1954) - National Culture Publishing House, 1998; published the novel A Family - Writers Association Publishing House, 2016 - the work won the Second Prize in Prose of Pho Hien Award for the period 2016 - 2020 of Hung Yen province; the poem "The Time-Bamboo Tree" - Writers Association Publishing House, 2018.

For each reader, especially those born in rural areas, reading the book will see the familiar shape of the village, the house with the space of the Northern countryside, the image of the grandmother, the mother, the simple and hard-working farmer, feel the cultural values, the very familiar life of themselves appear.

Dao Doan

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/doi-dieu-cam-nhan-ve-cuon-sach-tan-man-ve-manh-dat-va-con-nguoi-xa-phuong-lau-3178348.html