Visiting the old battlefield in Laos; finding the place where the mother of the Land of a Million Elephants gave rice and mended clothes... are
nostalgic tours, reminiscing, finding comrades, or paying tribute to those who lived and fought together. This is the red thread to increasingly tighten the friendship, tradition, and long-standing loyalty between the two countries and peoples of Vietnam and Laos.
More than a tour
"The war has long gone, green grass has covered the bomb craters of the past on
the Plain of Jars - Xieng Khouang (Laos) battlefield. This place has changed a lot with straight roads, people's lives have developed and become more prosperous. Only the stone jars still stand there. It reminds us,
former Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who fought on the Lao battlefield, of the fierceness and cruelty of the war. Here, every inch of land, every treetop has footprints, drops of sweat, drops of blood of soldiers from Vietnam and Laos. They blend together to gain independence for both nations. The Plain of Jars deserves to be one of the red addresses of revolutionary relics, for generations of descendants of the two nations to make pilgrimages and return to!" - that is the sharing of veteran Nguyen Tien Dung (
Hanoi ) when revisiting the Plain of Jars, the fierce battlefield in the two resistance wars against foreign invaders of the Vietnamese and Lao people.
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| Vietnamese veterans visit the Plain of Jars, Xieng Khouang. (Photo: Nguyen Tien Dung) |
Having had the opportunity to participate in a tour to revisit the battlefield in Laos, Ms. Ha Thi Thu (Thanh Hoa) said, "Each route, each journey has brought me special emotions. It is gratitude and deep appreciation for the Vietnamese heroes and martyrs who have united with the Lao people. It is also pride in the rare loyal affection in the world, the precious gem of the two nations." For many Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who lived and fought on Lao land and their relatives, returning to the old battlefield is a burning desire and wish. Grasping that need, in recent times, many Vietnamese tourism businesses have developed tours to bring veterans and their relatives to revisit the old battlefield in the Land of a Million Elephants. The nostalgic tours, visiting the old battlefields are designed in a variety of destinations that are red addresses of revolutionary relics such as: Plain of Jars, Tham Piu cave, Muong Khun town, Tha Khet stone construction site, Doc Thong, Tham Thuoi pass, Phu keng mountain, Sam Neua town... These are typical places - where the Vietnam - Laos coalition coordinated operations during the resistance war against the common enemy. Some places are villages where Vietnamese soldiers were stationed to visit and thank the villagers for their support and help to the Vietnamese volunteer soldiers during the resistance war. The tour also combines taking tourists to visit some historical, cultural,
economic architectural works, famous landscapes of Laos such as: monuments of Lao leaders, memorial area of President Ho Chi Minh, ancient pagodas over a thousand years old, hydroelectric plants, commercial centers, eco-tourism areas...
The red thread ties the people together
Traveling nearly a thousand kilometers, Vietnamese veterans in their 70s and 80s arrived in Laos. Although the veterans are old and weak, their spirits are high, dancing, singing, and recalling memories of the bomb and bullet era in the Land of a Million Elephants. They long to return to the old land to meet their comrades, their close Lao friends who fought shoulder to shoulder against the enemy during the fierce bomb and bullet era. Nostalgic tourism is often organized during the dry season in Laos (from November to April) and on the occasion of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27. Not only businesses develop this type of tourism, but also units such as the Veterans Association, the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association, the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese Volunteer Soldiers and
Military Experts in Laos also regularly organize this meaningful activity for their members. Not only are these trips for veterans, but they are also an opportunity to reminisce, reminisce, find comrades, or show gratitude to those who fought side by side at historic moments. Mr. Duong Manh Viet, Head of the Liaison Committee for Vietnam - Laos Volunteers and Military Experts in Thai Nguyen province, said during his return to Sam Neua in June 2023: When it was first liberated (March 1970), Sam Neua was deserted and desolate, but now it has become bustling. The streets are clear, with many cars and motorbikes circulating; goods are sold in shops and commercial areas quite abundantly. People's lives have improved, every house has a motorbike, a television; children can go to school to learn to read and write... He and many members of the delegation were very happy when they returned to see that the revolutionary base area of Sam Neua had clearly changed. If before, they came here to fight with the Lao people as soldiers and volunteer soldiers. Today, they still have that same sentiment, currently, they are people working in the Vietnam - Laos Friendship Association; connecting the people of the two countries. In one aspect, old battlefield tourism has a spiritual meaning that is in line with the noble humanistic tradition, the morality of drinking water remembering its source of the Vietnamese people. In addition to veterans, relatives, friends of those who are living and have sacrificed; today's youth also want to learn, want to show gratitude for the contributions of their fathers and brothers...
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| People of Nacasao village (Salavan province) welcome a group of Vietnamese volunteer veterans returning to visit the old battlefield. (Photo: Bui Thuong Toan) |
According to a representative of a people's organization leader: Tourism on the old battlefield is also an active and effective people's
diplomacy activity, aiming for peace, cooperation and friendship. This is an opportunity for people of the two countries, especially young people, to learn about the history and great friendship between Vietnam and Laos, thereby expressing gratitude for the contributions of their ancestors.
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