A song from where you rest!

Politburo member, President Vo Van Thuong and former leaders; Party and State leaders attended the program at Hang Duong Cemetery (Con Dao district, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province)

From the top of A1 hill to “Con Dao - The sacred altar of the Fatherland”

Attending the program at Hang Duong Cemetery were Politburo member,President Vo Van Thuong; former President Nguyen Minh Triet; former President Truong Tan Sang; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Department Bui Thi Minh Hoai; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung; Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Pham Viet Thanh...

At the A1 Martyrs Cemetery bridge ( Dien Bien Phu City, Dien Bien Province) there were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha; former Politburo member, former Permanent Vice President of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong; Secretary of the Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee Tran Quoc Cuong...

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the A1 Cemetery (Dien Bien) bridge. Photo: NAM NGUYEN

Attending the program at the two locations were also leaders of the Central and local ministries, departments, branches; leaders of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Dien Bien province; representatives of former prisoners of Con Dao; veterans; relatives of martyrs resting at Hang Duong cemetery, A1 cemetery.

Speaking on behalf of the Party and State leaders from the A1 Cemetery bridge, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized the significance of the television bridge connecting two special bridges: Hang Duong Cemetery and A1 Martyrs Cemetery - historical sites, symbols of the nation's indomitable will and spirit of victory.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong and delegates attending the program at the A1 Cemetery bridge. Photo: NAM NGUYEN

Beside the “sacred temples” built from the deep gratitude of today’s and future generations; from the memories of war still engraved in the minds; from the wounds on the bodies of veterans; from the scars still imprinted on the motherland; from Mud, Blood and Flowers, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha sent his warm regards, deep affection, and deep gratitude to the veteran revolutionaries, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, wounded and sick soldiers, relatives of martyrs, and people with meritorious services to the revolution throughout the country.

Singer Pham Thu Ha and the song "Grateful to Ms. Vo Thi Sau" brought many emotions to the program.

“The nation’s thousands of years of history of building and defending the country have written an immortal heroic epic about ardent patriotism, solidarity, and steadfastness in fighting against foreign invaders, protecting the independence and sacred territorial integrity of the Fatherland, with the aspiration for freedom, peace and happiness,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

The Deputy Prime Minister shared that every Vietnamese person today bears in mind that every moment of living in peace and happiness was exchanged for the sacrifices and blood of generations of ancestors. In the two great wars of resistance to save the country alone, 1.2 million outstanding sons of the nation fell, leaving their bodies to become the land of the Fatherland; their souls flew up to become the spirit of the nation.

Vo Ha Tram and the song Mother's Legend

Until now, there are still nearly 200 thousand martyrs lying somewhere, quietly on the old battlefield, leaving behind the regret and anticipation of their relatives and families to welcome them back; there are still nearly 300 thousand martyrs' graves lacking names and hometowns; millions of wounded and sick soldiers have lost a part of their flesh, health and youth.

And even in the moment when there is no more gunfire, there are still many martyrs who have silently sacrificed themselves on the border, on remote islands or on platforms, on rocky beaches in the middle of the ocean... to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland, to preserve the peace of the people's lives.

In this sacred moment, on the top of A1 hill, where " 56 days and nights of digging mountains, sleeping in tunnels, enduring heavy rains, blood mixed with mud, unwavering courage, unwavering will " took place to have " 9 years of making Dien Bien, becoming a red wreath, becoming a golden history ".

At Hang Duong Cemetery - the resting place of tens of thousands of revolutionary soldiers and patriots, including leaders, many loyal party members, and revolutionary patriots such as the late General Secretary Le Hong Phong, Hero Luu Chi Hieu, Heroine Vo Thi Sau, patriot Nguyen An Ninh... has become a symbol of immortal loyalty, a heroic period of struggle in the history of the nation.

“These are just two of thousands, tens of thousands of “red addresses” symbolizing the revolutionary heroism, patriotism and sacrifice of generations of fathers and brothers. From the top of Hill A1 to “Con Dao - the sacred altar of the Fatherland”, let us light candles and incense to commemorate and pay tribute to the millions of heroes, martyrs and patriots who sacrificed for the glorious revolutionary cause.

Vietnamese history and people will forever remember and be proud of the indomitable will of our ancestors and their “immortal heroic epics” to regain peace, independence, freedom, prosperity and happiness for our people, our mountains and rivers, our country…”, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, although the war has long since ended, the lands that were once rained with bombs and bullets have changed their skin and flesh to green, prosperous and peaceful villages. Con Dao is no longer a “hell on earth” and on the land of Dien Bien today, “Apricot blossoms are white again, orange gardens are yellow again”. But there are still the painful anguish of mothers, fathers, wives, children, the wounds that ache every time the wind changes on the bodies of former soldiers, the consequences of Agent Orange affecting many generations...

People's Artist Ta Minh Tam and the performance Linh Thieng Viet Nam

Promoting the traditional morality of “When drinking water, remember its source”, “When eating fruit, remember the person who planted the tree”, over the past 76 years, many movements of “Repaying gratitude”, taking care of families of war invalids, martyrs and people with meritorious services have received attention from the Party, the State and the whole society. Huge resources have been mobilized to implement many programs such as: gratitude houses; “Repaying gratitude” fund; gratitude savings books; taking care of war invalids, sick soldiers, lonely and weak parents of war invalids, orphaned children of war invalids; supporting Vietnamese Heroic Mothers…

Many preferential policies and laws for people with meritorious services have been issued and implemented synchronously, improving the living standards of people with meritorious services and their relatives. The entire political system has joined forces with organizations, individuals and communities to build and restore works honoring martyrs. In addition, the work of searching for, collecting and identifying the remains of martyrs with missing information has been promoted.

Singer Trong Tan was moved when participating in the art program at Hang Duong Cemetery for the first time.

“To be worthy of their contributions and sacrifices, we will continue to do better in the work of repaying gratitude to those who have contributed to the Fatherland; renovating and embellishing martyrs’ cemeteries and memorial works to educate the spirit of patriotism for future generations,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. The heroic history and the aspiration for development, peace, prosperity and happiness are precious spiritual resources, adding strength to the entire Party, people and army to successfully carry out the cause of innovation, construction, development and firmly protecting the Fatherland. That is also the most meaningful and beautiful way of repaying and showing gratitude to heroes and martyrs.

The epic song has never been so poignant...

The TV show "Immortal Epic" is a special art program, organized for the first time by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from two sacred points of the Fatherland: Hang Duong Cemetery and A1 Hill Cemetery.

Meritorious Artist Dang Duong with the song " The Fatherland Calls My Name"

After the candle lighting ceremony and the bell ringing in memory of the heroic martyrs; the art program took place with three chapters: "The call of the country"; "Immortal petals"; "Peace song".

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, Artistic Director and General Director of the program, said that the difference in the TV show "Immortal Epic" is the idea of not recreating the pain of war with the sound of bombs and bullets, scenes of casualties on the battlefield, but with a different appearance. That is the beauty and nobility of sacred patriotism, of noble ideals, of youthfulness and revolutionary heroism, of pure but steadfast love, of genuine but deep comradeship and compatriots. The program also does not retell history in a linear sequence of events and numbers from the past to the present, but from a humane, romantic perspective.

Musician Truong Quy Hai and veterans with the song Immortal Stone Rampart

Along with the songs that have been with us for many years, the program has brought many emotions with segments such as the reports "Songs Through Steel Walls" and "School in the Middle of the Ocean". The years have passed, but the tragic memories still remind today's generation of the message "life arises from death, happiness appears from hardships and sacrifices". Con Dao Prison is the largest and most severe prison, but it was also this place that communist prisoners turned into a school. "Hell on earth" has become the nursery of generations of Vietnamese revolutionaries.

Singer Tung Duong sings Round Footprints on the Sand among the rows of martyrs' graves at Hang Duong Cemetery

“From the two bridges of Con Dao and Dien Bien, viewers can look back at the heroic and steadfast struggle for independence and freedom of the previous generations; along with the determination of today's generation who are joining hands to build the homeland, with a spirit of pride in the past and looking towards the future,” Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasized.

Participating in the television program “Immortal Epic” is also an opportunity for soldiers and former political prisoners to return to their memories and visit their old comrades. Those who are still alive and those who have passed away, former political prisoners in Con Dao or veterans of the Dien Bien Phu battlefield in the past, when coming to the two programs, were all moved to tears. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ni, the only female former prisoner still alive in Con Dao, was moved to tears when remembering her comrades and the years of arduous and heroic fighting. “Humiliation, hunger, illness… all the harshest beatings in this hell on earth could not make us submit,” recalled former prisoner Nguyen Thi Ni. With a deep affection for the island, after the liberation day, former political prisoner Nguyen Thi Ni chose to stay in Con Dao, to stay with her comrades who sacrificed for the country.

At the program "Immortal Epic", former prisoners of Con Dao from all over the country were also present to offer incense to commemorate their comrades, remembering the days of imprisonment here. Mr. Chu Cap, a former political prisoner of Con Dao from 1971-1974, was lost in thought when recalling his comrades. Returning to Con Dao for the third time since returning from the prisoner exchange in March 1974, he was always moved to tears. Hang Duong Cemetery, Con Dao today is a place that holds many memories that Mr. Cap cannot forget. There, there is blood, tears, hardships and sacrifices, and there are also examples of people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the Fatherland.

Those emotions were encapsulated and expressed by the program's production team in immortal melodies and epics. A continuous flow from the past to the present, with the connecting thread being national pride, heroic historical traditions, gratitude for the great sacrifices of previous generations and appreciation for the values of peace. "Overcoming all difficulties due to the harsh weather in recent days, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has closely coordinated with the People's Committees of Dien Bien and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces to make efforts to bring a large force of artists, actors and nearly 600 tons of equipment to the island, along with a television crew to focus on implementing the program. We hope that this is the most beautiful tribute to the heroic martyrs", Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasized.

President Vo Van Thuong and former leaders and leaders of the Party and State on stage at the Hang Duong Cemetery (Con Dao)

Participating in the program with artists in these sacred spaces also brings many special emotions. Singing immortal melodies among the rows of graves at Hang Duong Cemetery, for singer Tung Duong, calling it emotion alone is probably not enough. In front of thousands of graves of martyrs with names and without names, once again Tung Duong's "Round Footprints on the Sand" has moved many audiences present at Hang Duong tonight to tears.

The special feelings of the people of the whole country and especially the people of Con Dao for the heroine Vo Thi Sau also made the lyrics "Grateful to sister Vo Thi Sau" that singer Pham Thu Ha sang in the middle of Hang Duong Cemetery, beside the windy waves of the ocean, become so passionate and sweet.

Meritorious Artist Dang Duong also confided that participating in the art program "Immortal Epic" was probably an unforgettable memory, not only because this was the first time he went to Con Dao but also because of the meaning of the program, a word of gratitude from the heart of every Vietnamese person today sent to the previous generation, the heroic martyrs.

PHUONG ANH; photo: TRAN HUAN

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