Lanterns - a tribute by the Thach Han River

Every time he returns to the old battlefield, Mr. Le Ba Duong quietly buys flowers and releases them into the Thach Han River to commemorate his comrades who fought alongside him. From this noble gesture, the government and people of Quang Tri have developed it into a meaningful local ceremony to honor and remember the heroic martyrs - the Thach Han River Lantern Festival.

Veteran Le Ba Duong (wearing glasses) and his comrades releasing flowers on the Thach Han River - Photo: LE BA DUONG

From a raft of flowers sent to comrades in the same trench

In 1976, soldier Le Ba Duong enjoyed his first leave in his military career. From Nha Trang ( Khanh Hoa ), he returned to his hometown in Nghe An for just four days, but his heart urged him to quickly pack his bags and return to the old battlefields of Quang Tri to find and locate the burial places of his comrades. He climbed the hills near the Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, went down to Ben Tat, Gio An, to Cau Duoi, along the My Chanh River... and finally ended his journey on the banks of the Thach Han River to offer flowers and incense to his fallen comrades. Everywhere he went, he picked wildflowers to make rafts and burned cigarettes instead of incense in remembrance.

That year in Quang Tri , on the banks of the Thach Han River, there was no ferry market, and he couldn't buy flowers, so he had to pick a few cockscomb flowers shaped like candles and release them into the river as a gift to his comrades. Since then, every year on July 27th, he returns to Quang Tri to buy flowers and release them into the Thach Han River. “In my poem 'Emotions of July,' I once wrote, 'There are two Julys, two full moon days.' Besides the traditional full moon day of the lunar calendar, which is to express gratitude to heaven, earth, ancestors, and grandparents, there is another day considered the full moon of the solar calendar, July 27th, the day to remember our roots,” Mr. Duong explained the reason for returning to Quang Tri every July.

He recalled his return in 1987, on July 27th. That day, his brothers, friends, and acquaintances in Quang Tri town (now Quang Tri ward) were attending the commemoration of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs. He quietly went to the market and bought up all the flowers, taking them to the banks of the Thach Han River. When he finished, everyone else had gone to buy flowers, but there were none left. When they asked, the locals said that a soldier with a Nghe An accent had just taken the flowers to the river to release them and was standing there crying. So they ran towards him... Later, when they saw him making a raft of flowers, the children in An Don village gathered together, cut banana leaves, picked flowers, and did the same, joining him in releasing them into the river.

“Offering incense and flowers is a Vietnamese custom. After ancestral commemoration ceremonies, people make a raft out of banana leaves, decorate it with flowers, and release it into a pond or river, drifting towards some distant land for their deceased loved ones. I also perform that ritual to ‘send incense and flowers towards the distant land, to the realm of my comrades who fought alongside me in the same trenches.’ That’s my perspective, not only for my comrades but also for all my fellow countrymen and comrades who fought and sacrificed,” Mr. Duong said.

Children in An Don village made flower rafts and launched them on the Thach Han River in 1989 - Photo: LE BA DUONG

Veteran, poet, journalist, and photographer Le Ba Duong, now 72 years old, fought in the Quang Tri battlefield from May 1968 to the end of 1973. He shared that the older he gets, the more often he feels compelled to return to Quang Tri each year, because it is there that "my comrades still lie at the bottom of the river"... And for decades, he has regularly returned to the old battlefield to offer incense to his fallen comrades and carry out many other meaningful tribute programs.

...to the gratitude festival by the Thach Han River

Inspired by the noble gesture of veteran Le Ba Duong, the government and people of Quang Tri have developed a meaningful local ceremony to honor and commemorate fallen heroes and martyrs – the lantern-floating festival on the Thach Han River.

Le Ngoc Vu, former Head of the Culture and Information Department of Quang Tri town, who directly participated in organizing the lantern-releasing program on the Thach Han River in its early years, recalled: The experimental program was organized in 2011, taking place at 6:30 PM - the moment of transition between day and night, the transition between yin and yang.

At that time, on the 14th day of the lunar month, every household would light incense at their altars, so they would release lanterns on the river to warm the souls of the heroic martyrs. On the river, 8,100 lanterns were released, symbolizing the 81 days and nights of fierce fighting at the Ancient Citadel. The lantern-releasing program on the Thach Han River has been officially organized since 2012.

To date, this program has become a festival of Quang Tri province, receiving support from localities and organizations. Attending the festival, lighting incense sticks, and releasing lanterns onto the Thach Han River, we have the opportunity to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs who bravely fought and sacrificed themselves in the battle to protect the Ancient Citadel, so that this land can enjoy peace today.

Lantern festival on the Thach Han River - Photo: DUY HUNG

The lantern festival on the Thach Han River in Quang Tri province was successfully organized, creating a widespread impact. However, those who have been directly involved in organizing the festival are deeply concerned about bringing it to a completely socialized stage. "I hope that each time the festival is organized, no funds will be used from the state budget, and that the people and tourists will buy lanterns themselves to release into the river," Mr. Vu shared.

That is also the thought and concern of Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung, an officer at the Cultural, Information, and Sports Center of Quang Tri Ward.

"Looking ahead, we propose preparing lanterns and having a donation box where locals and tourists can contribute whatever they wish. This money will be used to buy lanterns. People can also light candles themselves before releasing the lanterns, making it more meaningful. This is a practical way to socialize and also a way for each person to show their sincerity," Mr. Hung expressed.

We believe that the lantern festival on the Thach Han River will soon achieve the success that Mr. Vu and Mr. Hung shared, so that our expression of gratitude will be even more complete.

Quang Hai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/hoa-dang-loi-tri-an-ben-dong-thach-han-196307.htm