Sing with all your heart at the forefront of the waves.

The delegation from the Thai Nguyen Provincial Center for Culture and Arts has just returned from a performance tour serving the military and civilians of Truong Sa island district and the DK1 platform. In this remote, windswept location, the members of the delegation sang with all their hearts, a sense of responsibility, and love for their homeland's islands and seas.

Officials from the Thai Nguyen Provincial Center for Culture and Arts, along with naval soldiers, perform in Truong Sa. Photo: Meritorious Artist Minh Chuyen.

"Nothing is more sacred than the affection people have for each other on the waves. The 16 officers, artists, and actors in our troupe sang with all their hearts, with the thought of making up for the officers, soldiers, and people on the remote islands, easing their longing for the mainland," shared Meritorious Artist Do Minh Chuyen, Deputy Director of the Center, with us upon his return to Thai Nguyen.

I know it was a special trip for the artists and actors from Thai Nguyen, the land of tea. To prepare for the long trip from May 18th to June 2nd, as soon as they received the order to perform in Truong Sa island district, they practiced together, developed their own plans, and devised performance strategies for various situations so that each program, when the stage lights came on, would go smoothly.

The delegation presented gifts of Thai Nguyen tea to the officers and soldiers on Truong Sa Island. Photo: Meritorious Artist Minh Chuyen.

Along with their songs and performances, the delegation also brought a special gift that embodies the spirit of Thai Nguyen - tea. This conveyed the deep affection of over 1.3 million people from the mountainous capital of Thai Nguyen to the soldiers and civilians of Truong Sa island district.

Yes! It's the calm season, with only gentle waves lapping against the ship's sides, yet it's enough to make many actors and artists from the tea-growing region feel intoxicated. And rightly so, these sons and daughters of the capital, accustomed to the free-spirited mountains and forests, are now on a ship out to sea, seeing the vast, salty expanse with no shore in sight, and feeling nervous and anxious about the responsibility placed upon their shoulders: Will they still have enough strength to sing their heartfelt songs and perform the graceful dances of the tea-growing region?

Officials from the Thai Nguyen Provincial Center for Culture and Arts perform in Truong Sa. Photo: Meritorious Artist Minh Chuyen.

Ngoc Anh, a singer and actress, confided: "I was completely drunk, but when I stepped onto the island, I forgot... I had just burst into tears from 'swallowing up the waves.' There's something strange yet incredibly lovely about the island, the closeness and affection between the soldiers and the artists and actors." Meanwhile, Ngoc Huynh, a technical officer, was restless and anxious: "The sea is so vast, I worry about whether the sound and lighting equipment, having to travel hundreds of nautical miles, will still function properly when it reaches the island."

Beside the sovereignty marker on Sinh Ton Island. Photo: Meritorious Artist Minh Chuyen

Ngoc Huynh's worries did not come true. The cumbersome equipment that needed to be carried each time they arrived at the island was safely shared and carried by the soldiers. And on Truong Sa Lon Island, as well as other islands such as Da Thi, Sinh Ton, Co Lin, Len Dao, Da Tay A, and the DK1 platform, the performing troupe always had the stage lights on and the lively music blending with the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Huong Lan, a Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) actress, said innocently: "On the ship, I was swaying because of seasickness, but when the stage lights came on and the music started, I, like my colleagues, gave my all for the art."

The songs: "Vietnam, the Most Beautiful Name," "The Homeland Calls My Name," "Truong Sa is So Close," "Thai Nguyen, My Love for You," and "Legend of Nui Coc Lake"... were sung amidst the sacred and wondrous ocean. As the lyrics were sung, everyone fell silent in emotion, only the eternal murmur of the waves like a mother's lullaby, lulling her child into a dream. Thuy Ngan, the dancer, was surprised to witness the young soldiers laughing heartily while tears streamed down their faces as they listened to the songs. She too choked up, her clear tears blurring her words.

The troupe performed at the DK1 offshore platform. Photo: Meritorious Artist Minh Chuyên

Having performed on major national, provincial, and local stages, the island locations offer a truly special experience. Right beside the easternmost border marker of the Fatherland, under the shade of a banyan tree, in the island's assembly hall, or by the coral reefs with their layers of accumulating waves, the artists and performers everywhere feel a special emotion, giving their all amidst the moving applause of the soldiers and civilians of Truong Sa island district.

It was a meaningful, responsible, and memorable trip. As they boarded the ship to return to the mainland, the handshakes between the soldiers and civilians of the island district and the artists and actors were reluctant to end. And from the tea-growing region of Thai Nguyen, songs were sung by a member of the delegation over the phone, sent to Truong Sa with a promise of a future reunion.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202506/hat-bang-ca-trai-tim-noi-dau-song-65d238d/