Diligently sowing letters at the "gate of heaven" Trung Ly

Sharing the same ideal of "sowing knowledge" for children in disadvantaged areas, many teachers left the lowlands to go to the "heaven's gate" in Trung Ly commune to teach in temporary classrooms, and together overcome slippery slopes and landslides to reach their students. The days of working together to overcome difficulties brought them closer together, creating beautiful stories in the mountains and forests.

For over 20 years, teacher Vu Van Tuyen has been diligently teaching at Trung Ly Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities.

The road to the “heavenly gate” on foggy days is still winding like a silk strip across the mountainside. More than 23 years ago, Mr. Vu Van Tuyen, from Tay Do commune, crossed that slope for the first time to take up his assignment at Trung Ly Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, Trung Ly commune. He brought with him the enthusiasm and desire to contribute of youth.

On the first day of setting foot on the “heaven’s gate”, the teacher was also “dizzy” like those who set foot on this land for the first time. The road was bumpy, there were sections where motorbikes were powerless, slippery when it rained, and red dust when it was sunny. But the biggest challenge was not the roads. “The most difficult thing was not understanding the local language,” he said. The language difference made communicating with students and parents extremely difficult. In order to be able to teach properly, the teacher started learning the local language. Along with that, he learned about the lifestyle of the highlands, such as how the Thai people build houses, how the Mong people organize weddings and funerals, and the taboos in daily life.

Also during the years when Trung Ly commune was still lacking in all aspects, Ms. Mai Thi Thang left Linh Toai commune to take up her duties at Tung village school, Trung Ly 1 Primary School. Recalling that time, she said: “I thought I was used to poverty because my hometown was also difficult. But when I came here, I saw that people were in much more need. There were children who were older but still did not know how to hold a pen. Seeing them like that, I could not bear to return.”

The day they backpacked up to the high mountains, few people thought they would stay there for a long time. However, with each rainy and sunny season, amidst the sound of the wind howling through the wooden walls and the nights around the fire, their thoughts gradually changed. In 2006, Mr. Vu Van Tuyen and Ms. Mai Thi Thang became husband and wife. Nearly 20 years have passed, Mr. Tuyen and Ms. Thang are still attached to Trung Ly commune. In Tao village, they built a small warm home. Every morning, amidst the sound of forest birds, the couple put on warm clothes to go to class when the dew still covered the roof. In the afternoon, they followed the small slope to visit each student's family to ask about their studies and encourage parents to send their children to class regularly.

In Trung Ly commune, there are nearly 10 teacher couples who left their hometowns to settle down and make a living in the highlands. However, amidst the separation of mountains and dangerous roads, few people are lucky enough to live next to each other. The story of Mr. Pham Van Mui, a teacher at Trung Ly 2 Primary School, and Ms. Vu Thi Loan, a teacher at Trung Ly Kindergarten, is typical. Mr. Mui was assigned to teach at Pa Bua village school, while Ms. Loan stayed at Canh Cong village. Looking at the map, the two schools are only a few kilometers apart, but in reality, it is a steep, steep road with deep, fast-flowing streams in the rainy season. Therefore, when they miss each other, they can only call each other. The waves are erratic, the conversation is sometimes interrupted, but just hearing each other's voices warms the heart.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Mr. Pham Van Mui, a teacher at Trung Ly 2 Primary School, was assigned to teach at Pa Bua village school.

For teachers in the highlands, reunions are a luxury. During the school year, Mr. Tuyen and Ms. Thang, Mr. Mui and Ms. Loan have to send their children to their paternal or maternal hometowns for their grandparents to take care of, while they stay in the village to feel secure in teaching. Mr. Mui has a small house in Muong Ly commune, but each couple lives in a different village, sending their little daughter back to her hometown to live with her grandparents. Mr. Mui said: "There were nights when the phone showed a missed call from my daughter. The signal was weak, and I couldn't get through. When the wind calmed down, the signal flickered and showed one bar. On the other end of the line, I heard my daughter's soft voice: Dad, when will you come back? At that time, I just wanted to come back tomorrow, but the road was far, and we were separated by mountains and rivers, so I couldn't."

Faced with the situation of many teachers from the highlands asking to move to the lowlands, while the new general education program requires a larger team, schools in Trung Ly commune must make efforts to find ways to retain teachers. Mr. Nguyen Duy Thuy, Principal of Trung Ly Boarding Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities, said: "Keeping teachers in the highlands is very difficult. If they get married right in the area, their psychology will be more stable and they will be more secure in their work. Therefore, each couple that gets married is also a joy for the school."

A rare meal with all members of Mr. Pham Van Mui's family present.

Despite the hundreds of hardships of life in the border area, the teachers at the “heavenly gate” of Trung Ly commune still diligently sow knowledge every day. Because more than anyone else, they understand that each class with enough students, each hour of reading, each student’s eyes lighting up when writing a new word, is the greatest reward. And in that silent journey, love for the profession, love for couples and the affection of the people in the highlands have become the fire that keeps them here to continue writing beautiful stories in the great forest.

Article and photos: Tang Thuy

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/miet-mai-geo-chu-noi-cong-troi-trung-ly-269271.htm