Flower of the earth

That flower grows on heroic lands, rising strongly from the smoke and fire of war, with the blood and bones of many generations of fathers and brothers. These are the old bases, now special historical and cultural relics that every time we set foot there, in the emotion mixed with the incense of gratitude, we fully understand the meaning of the verse: "Vietnam from blood and fire / Shakes off the mud to rise up shining brightly!" ("Country" - Nguyen Dinh Thi).

Special national historical site Cai Chanh Base (Ninh Thanh Loi commune, Hong Dan district) - a "red address" educating the glorious revolutionary historical tradition of Bac Lieu .

Reviving the heroic tradition

“Why can these weapons look so simple but still fight the enemy, Mom?”, answering the child’s naive question, the mother calmly explained, “It’s because our people are patriotic, persistent, and brave!”. That is also the first lesson about the bravery and patriotism of the Vietnamese people, which adults consciously pass on to today’s young generation when taking children to historical sites. A child who is curious about historical artifacts, and then knows how, with primitive weapons, their ancestors fought to protect their homeland, will remind themselves to become responsible citizens for their homeland in the future.

That is a small story at Cai Chanh Base (Cay Cui Hamlet, Ninh Thanh Loi Commune, Hong Dan District) - a place that has welcomed many delegations, including many students, who came here to learn about the heroic fighting tradition of the army and people of Bac Lieu during the war. With its special historical, cultural and revolutionary values, this base has been recognized by the Prime Minister as a special national historical relic since 2021.

A history lesson at this place full of evidence will quickly penetrate the mind, forming a sense of pride and love for the homeland for each student, when they clearly understand that: This place used to be the Bac Lieu Provincial Party Committee Base in both the resistance wars against France and the US, playing the role of the command and operation center for the province's revolutionary activities; a place associated with historical figures; high-ranking leaders of the Party and State also worked and operated here, such as comrades: Le Duan, Le Duc Tho, Pham Hung... Especially, it is the place that marks the resounding victories of the army and people of Bac Lieu in the resistance war against the US to save the country.

Continuing down to the southernmost land of the Fatherland, another flower spreads its immense fragrance to life from the bloody and tearful story of an entire family in Phong Thanh village (now Hamlet 4, Phong Thanh A Commune, Gia Rai Town) that has been featured in movies many times. The story seems to contribute more evidence of a country that "rose from the mud and shined brightly"!

The historical site of Noc Nang with its adjacent graves may make us shed tears of emotion, but after all, it strongly arouses pride in the indomitable fighting spirit of the Southern farmers of the past. The story of the Muoi Chuc brothers, the resilient farmers who stood up against injustice to protect their homeland in 1928, created a strong wave of struggle, spreading to other rural areas, contributing to promoting the Vietnamese revolutionary movement before the Party existed.

Just to name two of the many sites and relics to see that with the flowers of that land, Bac Lieu always knows how to appreciate and cherish historical vestiges and living museums. To be grateful for the past is to look forward to the future!

Officials, union members, association members and people of Bac Lieu offer incense at the historical site where the first Party cell of the province was established (Long Dien commune, Dong Hai district).

The essence of eternal fragrance

Writer and journalist Gaston Fiorda - a Southeast Asian affairs expert for the National Radio of Argentina, who has worked and experienced culture in Vietnam for many years, has spent time visiting many historical sites associated with the resistance wars against foreign invaders and the defense of the Fatherland of our people. Gaston Fiorda emphasized the importance of preserving and maintaining the traditional historical values ​​of the Vietnamese people's thousands of years of fighting against invaders and defending the country for future generations, and emphasized that this is one of the important values ​​of national culture, patriotism needs to be passed down from generation to generation.

That's right, historical relics that pay tribute to the past to educate the tradition and patriotism of today's generation, help them better understand the value of independence and freedom, arouse national pride and a sense of responsibility towards the community, creating one of the important values ​​of national culture!

Like Gaston Fiorda, international friends have long been amazed and admired a nation with primitive weapons but has "seven times" won. The soldiers with "poor gunpowder, bare feet/ But the heart is rich with patriotism/ With a hat and spear across the shoulder/ But the body of a man is not less heroic", turning everyday objects into powerful weapons, such as a rubber band to shoot grenades, knives, spears, mines made from a teapot, spikes made from bamboo, sharp wood to block the enemy's path... Those primitive fighting tools are symbols of the creativity and self-reliance of the Vietnamese people. Limited in materials and technology, but with intelligence and patriotism, the Vietnamese people have created effective weapons to defeat the enemy.

Students visit the Noc Nang historical site (Gia Rai town). Photo: HT

With such primitive but powerful evidence of war, many historical relics in Bac Lieu such as Cai Chanh Base, Noc Nang Historical Relic, the place where the first Party cell of the province was established, the historical relic of the Giong Bom battle site... have become priceless war museums! Preserving and promoting the value, opening the way to develop tourism for the flowers blooming from this land to spread their fragrance and color is an important task, both educating the tradition of patriotism for the young generation and affirming the position of Bac Lieu on the tourism map of Vietnam. The architectural works in the base area, the historical revolutionary relics in Bac Lieu in general have the typical features of the Southern river region, harmoniously combining tradition and modernity, preserving many valuable artifacts, vividly recreating the life and activities of cadres and soldiers during the resistance war... will certainly attract tourists! Building an attractive tourist destination, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to visit, explore and learn about the history and culture of the nation is the responsibility of today's people.

Relics are defined as “traces of the past remaining underground or on the ground that have cultural and historical significance”. So let us call those historical relics the flowers of the earth.

Immortal flowers spread fragrance for life, today and tomorrow!

CAM THUY

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/hoa-cua-dat-99140.html