Call the village name

Each place has its own way of naming villages, sometimes rustic, sometimes beautiful, stylized. But no matter what, the name still exudes the spirit, carries the mission of a land, more deeply reflects the cultural space and history of the village. Because for a long time, the village is no longer simply the name of an administrative unit but has become the soul, the sacred sentiment of the people. So when mentioned, a whole area of memories comes flooding back, a whole area of memories shines brightly.

I was born in the village, grew up and stepped out of the village gate to go far away. However, the familiar images of the village through the bridge, pond, well, dike, and fields will always accompany me in my memories. I love the village from the simplest, smallest things. A rooster crowing in the morning. A sunset rustling with the call of birds. The fields fragrant with the smell of harvest straw. The road to school, pink royal poinciana flowers signaling exam season...

My village is located next to a poetic river. The village name is based on the terrain from the time of land reclamation. This is what the elders used to tell. My village has a tutelary god temple, a hundred-year-old banyan tree that has been recognized as a heritage tree. My village has a traditional carpentry profession, many families have continued and preserved it for 5 generations. During the years I was away from home to study at university and then work in the city, whenever I thought about the village, I always felt deep affection. I named the village with loving emotions.

A poet once wrote: “The people of the countryside have hoarse and harsh voices/When we meet, we are happy and sad, the village sounds so loving and affectionate.” It sounds so familiar and poignant. The names of the old villages were mainly Nom names, which sounded as simple and familiar as rice grains and sweet potatoes. The names of the villages were often associated with the terrain, characteristics, and location where the village was born, sometimes the names of rivers, mountains, and the names of the people who opened up the land and reclaimed the land.

The name of the village is simple and easy to remember like a children's nursery rhyme, gentle like a folk song. It is this simplicity and rusticity that has left its mark, anchored it, so that wherever people go, they miss the village and they "carry the name of the commune and village with them on each migration trip".

I have been to new economic zones such as Lam Ha, Da Huoai, Cat Tien (Lam Dong) or Kbang (Gia Lai), and I have seen many villages and communes here still bearing the names of their original hometowns or combined with local names. That shows how important and intimate the village name is.

The name is the soul of the village, even though it is simple and rustic. The name of the village is always associated with the cultural and historical treasure of the village. Every time it is mentioned, people can imagine it to be proud and love it. For example, the story about the history of the formation and development of the mountain town of Pleiku. Accordingly, through historical documents and stories told by the elders, from the beginning, the central area of Pleiku used to have only a village of Jrai ethnic people named Pleiku; later, it gradually separated into villages.

Among them, Plei Op is located in the city center. This is a village that still preserves the traditional cultural beauty of the Jrai ethnic group and has become an attractive tourist destination. Or Loc Yen village in Tien Phuoc (Quang Nam), Duong Lam village in Son Tay town (Hanoi). And on this S-shaped strip of land, there are countless village names that have been attached to and deeply rooted in the lives of the people, because they carry within them a lasting and pervasive cultural power.

Over time and with the changes of life, people can change but the village will never change. The village name will become a mark, will last forever. Many people were disappointed and worried when the villages merged, will the old name be retained or not? Many thoughts and worries are also because of love for the village, love for what has been attached to, become their breath.

I returned to the village along the familiar road running along the riverbank, listening to the endless memories of “names that do not sound poetic but are extremely familiar to me”. Standing next to the newly built majestic gate with the red letters of cultural village, my emotions surged, thinking to myself that the name of the village may no longer exist, but the image of the village will forever exist with time and in the hearts of every person.