Awakening the aspirations of the young generation

When I was in high school, I wanted to visit the Bach Dang Giang Relic Site, the land of Trang Kenh - Bach Dang in Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong City. That wish has now come true, when I am nearly 60 years old, I have the opportunity to come to this place with the delegation attending the 9th National Sports Festival in 2022.

Setting foot on this sacred land, where the heroic victories of our ancestors are recorded in history, associated with many historical and cultural events, many immortal poems about the tradition of loving peace and the determination to protect the independence and autonomy of the nation, all members of the delegation felt moved.

Coming to the museum, where historical artifacts are displayed, for the first time I witnessed with my own eyes a light boat made from ironwood trunks that has existed for centuries; ironwood stakes that are thousands of years old...

Having studied history, but when looking at those ancient artifacts, an indescribable feeling arose in my heart; because those simple boats, those wooden stakes, together with the will, intelligence and solidarity of a nation had defeated invaders many times; there was an army that had conquered almost all of Asia and many European countries. The tour guide's inspiring introduction made the visitors even more moved, everyone was orderly, quiet and listened attentively to every word.

The Bach Dang Giang Relic Complex - including the statues of King Ngo Quyen, King Le Dai Hanh, and King Hung Dao Tran Quoc Tuan in Victory Square - always attracts a large number of tourists and students.

At Victory Square, there are statues of three national heroes: King Ngo Quyen, King Le Dai Hanh, and King Hung Dao Tran Quoc Tuan. From my memory, the history lessons that my teachers taught me came back to my mind. The immortal words of Tran Quoc Tuan's "Hich tuong si" are still here: "... I often forget to eat at mealtimes, pounding my pillow at midnight, my stomach aches like it's being cut, tears streaming down my face; I'm only angry that I can't cut the flesh, skin, eat the liver, and drink the blood of the enemy; Even if a hundred of these bodies were exposed in the wild, a thousand of these bodies were wrapped in horse skin, I would still be happy...". From the pain and anxiety of that royal family, the king and his subjects were of one mind, chose the right moment, and achieved a glorious victory, leaving their name in history forever.

Besides Bach Dang River, the thousand-year-old stake field remains. The stake fields were built with the spirit of solidarity, together with strategies and indomitable will, contributing to three glorious victories: In 938, King Ngo Quyen led the people to victory, restoring the national tradition for the Vietnamese people, ending more than 1,000 years of Chinese domination. In 981, King Le Dai Hanh recreated the stake field, creating a victory to maintain the independence of Dai Co Viet. In 1228, the largest naval battle in Vietnamese history, under the command of Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, Dai Viet won and terrified the enemy.

Stopping by the stone stele engraved with the poem "Bach Dang Hai Khau" by Nguyen Trai, I read the poem, feeling proud of the intelligence of our ancestors. The poem not only shows the spirit but also the noble humanistic spirit of the Vietnamese people: "The sea trembles, the north wind blows fiercely / The poetic sails gently lift up and glide over Bach Dang / The whales are surprised and chop the mountains into pieces / Spears and swords sink and break the sandbanks in many layers / The dangerous and weak border was set by heaven / The heroes and heroes of that land have all achieved fame / Turning back from the old work, oh, it is gone / Coming to the river to admire the scenery, my heart is filled with sadness".

Visiting the Ho Chi Minh Temple, I happened to hear the teacher giving a history lesson to a class. The lesson was so good that even though I was standing far away, I still listened attentively. The teacher told about the extremely difficult days of the country after the success of the August Revolution in 1945. The Fatherland at that time was in danger, the situation of the country was "hanging by a thread" because of "famine", "ignorance", because hostile forces were trying to destroy the young independence of our people. When the teacher read Uncle Ho's "Call for National Resistance", the students and visitors were moved to listen: "... No! We would rather sacrifice everything, but we will never lose our country, we will never be slaves. Fellow countrymen! We must stand up! Any man, any woman, any old person, any young person, regardless of religion, party, ethnicity. Anyone who is Vietnamese must stand up to fight the French colonialists, to save the Fatherland...". Uncle Ho's appeal that day has now become a "national treasure" that encourages patriotism and solidarity among the entire nation. It is a constant historical lesson for present and future generations.

The group's program only had 2 hours to visit Bach Dang River, we tried to go as fast as possible, wanting to go all the way, recording in our minds as many images and stories on this sacred land with national pride and dignity.

Along with the tour groups, at the Bach Dang Giang Relic Site, there are many groups of students being taken by teachers to learn and experience history. Looking at the quick, eager steps of the students going to each relic site and attentively listening to the tour guides and teachers introducing and explaining history, I feel that: If the previous generation works harder to teach and cultivate, the next generation will be more proud and cherish history.

And in the context of current international integration, focusing on education on historical traditions and national culture will arouse the desire to contribute in the young generation, contributing to firmly protecting national sovereignty.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bien-dao/khoi-day-khat-vong-cho-the-he-tre-20230325195430985.htm