“Gratitude - The River of Fire and Flowers”: An art night recreating the legend of Long Dai ferry

On the evening of September 18, at Long Dai ferry, the place where 16 youth volunteers sacrificed their lives in September 1972 (Truong Ninh commune, Quang Tri province), the political and artistic program "Gratitude - The River of Fire and Flowers" officially took place.

The program is organized by the People's Committee of Quang Tri province in coordination with Vietnam Television, with sponsorship from T&T Group andSHB Bank.

Attending the program were Party Central Committee members: Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Secretary of Quang Tri Provincial Party Committee Le Ngoc Quang.

Also attending were leaders of Quang Tri, Nghe An, Hung Yen provinces; leaders of T&T Group , SHB Bank, relatives of 16 youth volunteers who died at Long Dai ferry II and a large number of people in Quang Tri province.

The program is a profound tribute to the heroic martyrs who sacrificed for the cause of national liberation, while spreading revolutionary traditions and arousing national pride in today's and future generations.

The elaborately staged performances brought special emotions to the audience at the event.

Historically, Long Dai ferry was not only a simple traffic bridge, but also a strategic "throat", "bloodline", deciding the survival of the supply line from the Northern rear to the Southern front, Laos and Cambodia. Therefore, during the war, the US imperialists dropped hundreds of tons of bombs and bullets here, turning Long Dai into a "bomb bag", a fierce "fire pan". This place witnessed the tragic sacrifice of 16 youth volunteers of Company C130 (from Thai Binh, now Hung Yen province) in September 1972 while on duty. They devoted their youth to ensuring the smooth flow of traffic.

Wishing to tell true stories, to pay tribute to the sons who died for the Fatherland, the program opened with the image of an old soldier returning to Long Dai Temple. Under the pouring rain on the evening of September 18, tens of thousands of spectators were silent when witnessing the scene of the old soldier carrying a diary stained with time. He flipped through nostalgic verses, then relived in the memories of a time of war, reminiscing about the marching steps, about the ferries across the river and the comrades who had passed away forever...

Under the heavy rain of the historic September, the audience's emotions were continuously pushed to a climax when the program recreated the heroic sacrifice of 16 youth volunteers in the past...

Through elaborately staged performances and animations, the program recreates the story of the heroic sacrifice of 16 youth volunteers of Company C130 in the past. Not afraid of sacrifice, not afraid of hardship, those youth volunteers steadfastly held on and responded with action with the slogan: "The heart can stop beating, the traffic blood cannot stop flowing".

The program subtly combines music and stage design, creating an artistic space imbued with the epic. The production team has made the most of the space at the Long Dai Ferry Relic Site. The historic river becomes part of the stage. The bridge and ferry - witnesses of a fierce war, are lit up, becoming symbols connecting the past and the present. The combination of live and artistic elements has brought the audience a unique experience, helping viewers deeply feel the story of a historic river.

In particular, the audience was deeply moved when listening to the story of the diary of martyr Bui Nang Dac, carefully preserved by his sister, Mrs. Bui Thi Thao, depicting the dreams and aspirations of a young soldier... Against the backdrop of the "fire and flower river" Long Dai, everyone relived the tragic days, where brave and enthusiastic soldiers sacrificed themselves to preserve the "bloodline" connecting North and South.

In “Thanksgiving - Fire and Flower River”, songs familiar to many generations of Vietnamese people such as: Binh Tri Thien Khoi Lua, Buoc chan tren do Truong Son, Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay, Co gai doi duong, La do, Mau hoa do, To quoc trong nang mat nang nang nang nang hoa, Noi dau trong hoa binh… are also arranged with a new breath.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung presented the National Historical Relic Ranking Certificate to the leaders of Quang Tri province.

At the program, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung awarded the National Historical Relic Ranking Certificate “Long Dai Ferry Terminal II - the place where 16 youth volunteers sacrificed their lives in September 1972” to the leaders of Quang Tri province. This is an affirmation of the great value of the site in the history of resistance, and at the same time creates a foundation for the site to become a “red address” for educating traditions, honoring martyrs, and developing historical and spiritual tourism in the future.

Previously, in April 2025, with the cooperation of T&T Group and businesses and individuals, the auxiliary works and the project to upgrade and renovate the historical relic of Long Dai Ferry Terminal II were officially started. The sponsors contributed all financial resources, contributing to the success of the socialization of the project to renovate the memorial site in a synchronous, spacious and sustainable manner.

The program was broadcast live on VTV1 channel and VTVgo platform with the participation of famous artists: MC Lai Van Sam, MC Hong Nhung, Tung Duong, Anh Tho, Ho Ngoc Ha, Tan Minh, Hoa Minzy, Pham Thu Ha, Duong Hoang Yen, Quoc Thien, Viet Danh...

During the 32-year development journey, under the leadership of Entrepreneur Do Quang Hien, every step of T&T Group and SHB Bank always takes the philosophy of "business development associated with social responsibility" as a guiding principle. T&T Group, SHB Bank and enterprises in the ecosystem have donated thousands of billions of VND to invest in many historical and cultural works of national significance; supported the poor and disadvantaged people in society; activities to repay gratitude and care for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers; built solidarity houses, eliminated temporary and dilapidated houses in many mountainous and border provinces; supported people affected by natural disasters, storms and floods; awarded scholarships to studious students in difficult circumstances...

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/loi-tri-an-dong-song-hoa-lua-dem-nghe-thuat-tai-hien-huyen-thoai-ben-pha-long-dai-716617.html