Some people have returned countless times. And there are also young people quietly preserving the memories, so that visitors can witness a part of history that lives on.
1. At the age of 71, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a former political prisoner of Con Dao, still returns to this sacred land every year as if it were an unspoken rendezvous with her former comrades. Each time she returns, she carries with her memories, the faces, and the voices that remain in that hellish prison on earth.
“At first, I went alone, then I went with a group of brothers and sisters from the Con Dao Former Prisoners Club. Then, on every major holiday, like July 27th, we join the Ho Chi Minh City leadership delegation to come here and participate in cultural performances to express our gratitude. Singing songs like 'My Comrades,' 'Con Dao at Hang Duong Night'... makes me choke up and shed tears,” Ms. Ngoc Anh shared.
Each time she returns, Ms. Anh sees the changes in Con Dao over the years. “In the past, traveling was extremely difficult. The boat to the island rocked precariously all day at sea. Initially, only a few people went on their own, paying out of pocket. Now, the government and Ho Chi Minh City support air travel. There are groups, comrades, departments, and youth union members accompanying us,” Ms. Anh said.
What comforted her most was the increasing presence of young people at the cemetery. She shared, "We're old now, and we won't be able to come here anymore. But seeing the children come here to light incense makes us feel at peace."
2. Leaving Hang Duong Cemetery, we found a small, one-story house nestled beside Phu Tuong prison camp. Mrs. Huynh Thi Kim Loan (born in 1963) was rearranging old photos on the altar of her father - former political prisoner Huynh Van Bien. He was one of more than 150 former prisoners who volunteered to stay on the island after liberation.
“Back then, I was only 12 years old, living with my mother in the liberated zone of Hau Giang province. My mother was arrested many times for harboring soldiers. The first time I met my father was when he came back to our hometown to take my mother and us children to the island. At that time, I couldn't read. Con Dao is where I started first grade at the age of 12, and I grew up there, and have stayed until now,” Mrs. Loan recalled.
Her father, Mr. Huynh Van Bien, was assigned to be the Deputy Head of the Management Board of the historical site (the Con Dao National Special Historical Site today) from the early days after liberation. He was also the one who compiled the first explanatory text for the site's team of guides. Her mother spent her days caring for and cleaning the Hang Duong Cemetery.
At that time, Hang Duong Cemetery was just a white sandy area overgrown with weeds, and according to Mrs. Loan, "each grave was just a mound of sand." During the monsoon season, the bones would rise to the surface of the ground. Her childhood was devoid of coloring books and children's games, instead filled with days spent carrying baskets and following her father to collect remains. "I was young then, and didn't know fear at all. I only remember my father's instructions: the remains must be gathered properly; they must be placed in a coffin, and laid in the ground with clean hands…," Mrs. Loan recounted.
At the age of 18, Ms. Loan began her official job at Hang Duong Cemetery and has been there for 37 years. “Back then, there was no electricity, no running water, no machinery. We carried water from 500 meters away to water the plants, and cut grass with sickles and machetes… It was extremely hard work, but no one complained. Everyone tried their best to keep the cemetery clean and solemn, so that our ancestors could rest in peace.”
Ms. Loan knows every grave, every row of graves, and every hometown of hundreds of martyrs by heart. Thanks to this, she helps many relatives visiting Hang Duong Cemetery for the first time quickly find the graves of their loved ones. “Some people collapse and cry as soon as they see a grave. They cry silently. I stand there watching, and tears well up in my eyes too. I hope every young person will come here at least once to witness that,” Ms. Loan said.
People visiting the Con Dao Museum.
Witnessing the dramatic changes in Con Dao today, Ms. Loan couldn't help but feel happy. "I hope Ho Chi Minh City will invest in building a hospital, so that good doctors can come here to treat the sick and make things easier for the people," Ms. Loan expressed. For over 50 years, Ms. Loan hasn't returned to the mainland, and has never had any intention of doing so. She says Con Dao is her home, the place that taught her to read, taught her to love her country and her fellow countrymen...
3. A few hundred meters from Mrs. Loan's house is the Con Dao Museum, one of the most visited tourist attractions. We met Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Xuan (born in 1985), a tour guide at the Con Dao Special National Historical Site, while she was leading visitors on a tour of the museum.
Unlike children born in the brightly lit city, Ms. Xuan's childhood was intertwined with the scent of incense, with walks with friends past Hang Duong Cemetery, and with evenings spent returning home with her mother after work in the fading twilight.
After graduating from the University of Culture, Ms. Xuan returned to Con Dao to work as a tour guide at the historical site. Her mother was one of the first tour guides there, and her uncle is a former political prisoner. "Since I was little, my family has never lacked stories about life, death, and brutal torture... Perhaps, I've loved this place and this profession since I was in my mother's womb," Ms. Xuan shared.
On July 27th or during peak months, Ms. Xuan and her team of tour guides work tirelessly. Some days they work seven consecutive shifts, serving nearly 2,000 visitors with only 18 members. There are days when it rains, their clothes get wet, their voices are hoarse… but according to her, “this is no longer just a job, but a sacred responsibility.”
“Con Dao was a living hell for 113 years. Tens of thousands of revolutionary soldiers and patriotic citizens were imprisoned, tortured, and sacrificed their lives here. To live, work, and recount those stories is an immeasurable honor for me,” Ms. Xuan shared.
In her 18 years of working, perhaps the most moving moments for her were welcoming groups of former political prisoners back to visit the prison. “At those times, I was no longer a tour guide, but stepped back and just listened. Because these veterans were the most vivid witnesses. I listened, remembered, gathered the information into valuable documentation, and continued to tell the story on behalf of those who are gone, continuing the story for future generations.”
According to Ms. Xuan, every summer, preschools and primary schools bring their students to visit and experience the museum. Some children, even those in first grade, have asked their mothers to let them return. "We hope that nurturing patriotism begins from a young age. We want the younger generation to understand that their homeland has shed blood, suffered pain, and that today's peace was not easily achieved," Ms. Xuan shared.
And perhaps what makes her most proud is the continuation of this inspiring journey right in her own little home. After school, her daughter often begs to accompany her to work to listen to her stories, and then comes home to act as a storyteller for the whole family.
THU HOAI
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/giu-lua-thieng-con-dao-post807763.html
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