The jar used as a secret tunnel by General Le Duc Anh, former President, former Minister of National Defense , former Commander of Military Region 9, during his revolutionary activities at U Minh base, Ca Mau province (from 1970-1972).
Mr. Trang Hoang Lam (Dong Hai district, Bac Lieu province) shared: “The jar is big, round, made of silver-white cement. Over time, the jar has darkened; the palanquin is reddish brown, with dragon motifs around it, looking luxurious. There are rows of palanquins decorated in front of the house, their colors make the house stand out more.”
In the past, people often bought jars and palanquins from Lai Thieu ( Binh Duong province), Dong Nai province, Long An province... and transported them by boat to the West. Each boat trip carried hundreds of jars and palanquins neatly arranged, highlighting a section of the river as the boat passed by. Jars and palanquins are very durable, used in many rainy and sunny seasons. Jars and palanquins come in many sizes, depending on the need for use, used to store water or make fish sauce... The profession of selling jars and palanquins is also a famous profession.
Reconstructed model of a bunker made of jars at the relic "Residence and workplace of comrade Vo Van Kiet".
My grandfather said: “Back then, when your parents moved out, your grandmother gave you a few pairs of palanquins and a jar, mainly to hold rainwater to drink. When it was hot or when you came home from working in the fields, you would open the lid of the jar, scoop up some rainwater from a coconut shell and drink it all at once, which was very thirst-quenching.”
Going down to Hamlet 6, Khanh Hoa Commune, U Minh District, people also evoke and recall memories of the jars used as shelters that the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet used during the resistance war.
Mr. Kim Tay (Khmer ethnic group), Hamlet 6, Khanh Hoa commune, shared: “Uncle Sau Dan’s jar was discovered more than a kilometer away from the relic site, located on a banana grove, surrounded by dense forest. It was not until Uncle Sau left this place for a long time that people discovered it. The jar was quite large, able to shelter 3 or 4 people.”
Living near the relic site where comrade Vo Van Kiet lived and worked, Mr. Ly Duc Khanh, Hamlet 6, Khanh Hoa Commune, recalled a part of history: "After liberation, the people who took shelter in the bunkers made of jars were only known to the people so that they could dig them up and preserve the traces of war."
Jars are used by people in Khanh Thuan commune, U Minh district to store rainwater.
Usually, soldiers and people poured jars with cement, made in secret. Mr. Hai Khanh also used many jars and palanquins. His house still has a few old jars, used to store rainwater on the porch; previously, his family used more than 15 jars and palanquins to salt snakehead fish, store dried fish... Especially, during the war, every house used jars as bunkers to hide when the enemy bombed.
Mr. Dang Phung Tam, Quach Pham commune, Dam Doi district, a local veteran association member, after the years of resistance war, after each rice season he bought a few jars and palanquins to store water; every year when the rice crop failed, the palanquins from Lai Thieu returned, he exchanged them for dried coconuts.
People in Hamlet 6, Khanh Hoa commune describe how to use jars as shelters during the resistance war.
Mr. Bay Tam confided: “After several years of resistance, all the jars were broken, only more than 10 palanquins remained that I kept almost intact, this is also a memory of my life. I designed a lid for each palanquin to ensure hygiene”. Most of the palanquins are made of terracotta, enameled inside so the water does not form algae and is very clean.
Since 2000, boat trips full of jars and palanquins going back and forth to the West have become rare, not as many as before, but every time I return to my hometown, seeing the image of jars and palanquins brings back old memories. Jars and palanquins not only contain water, but also contain love for the countryside with simple, honest people./.
Nhat Minh
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