Follow Ms. Tham to explore Dong Nai land

By the River Reflecting is a new collection of hot essays by author Nguyen Tham, pen name Co Tham, published by Vietnam Women's Publishing House. With 15 concise and succinct articles about the land and people of Dong Nai, the author has led readers to discover interesting things about the nature, history, culture, and geography of this place, to discover the mysterious beauty of the human soul hidden in every way of life, work, and living. From there, she draws valuable lessons and sends readers profound humane messages.

With the genre of memoir, the author has recorded all the events, happenings, what he saw and heard, but with the art of using sharp language, unique rhetorical devices such as metaphor, personification and comparison... he has created interesting, attractive stories, captivating the reader. Because behind that is the shadow of people with their thoughts, emotions, feelings and those of the author himself.

Holding the book in my hand, reading the first lines she wrote about the traditional pottery making profession in Tan Van (Bien Hoa), I was immediately drawn into the emotional flow of a child who had to witness the beauty of his father's labor being lost day by day due to the inevitable development trend of society. It was regret, disappointment and the desire to hold on. The author skillfully provided readers with information about the pottery making profession, about the unique features of the craft village in Bien Hoa. And above all, from the very meticulous observation of the artisan's labor process, the author drew for himself a profound life lesson: "Any jar that cannot withstand the heat of the fire will become a broken jar, just like people who cannot withstand the bitterness of life will be knocked down in the storm" or "If you pay close attention, you will see that on the vases of Bien Hoa pottery, the theme of Bach Hoa, meaning hundreds of flowers blooming, each flower is brilliant and colorful in its own way in harmony without any competition or rivalry"...

So, just reading Breathing Soul into Pottery, I feel like I have broken so many things. From the simple, rustic, and familiar storytelling that attracts listeners to the knowledge about a traditional craft of the nation in general and in Dong Nai in particular, from the culture in labor to the life lessons drawn from objects. Aren't all of these very necessary for our lives?

Writing about famous places in Dong Nai such as Tri An, Ta Lai, Hang Gon Giant Stone Tomb, Bien Hoa, Thong Nhat, Sac Forest - Phuoc An War Zone, the author has provided readers with a large amount of knowledge about the history, geography and culture of each place through attractive and engaging storytelling and description, through the interweaving of observation and feeling, through the harmony between the landscape and the soul, making each landscape exude its own unique beauty. Some places are sacred and majestic, some are poetic and romantic, some are dynamic and bustling. All are like magnificent paintings that make viewers admire and be captivated.

In the author's emotional vein with her second homeland, she wrote about the trees and typical dishes and drinks of this red land. They are rubber, sago, durian, Tan Trieu grapefruit, coffee... Each tree is an interesting and touching story. They are not simply a natural entity, a precious product that brings people high nutritional and economic value, but more importantly, they are lives, journeys that create value and profound lessons about the meaning of life. So, with each tree, the writer not only provides complete information about biological characteristics, about the development journey and the value they bring, but more prominently, exudes the beauty of vitality, of the love between nature and people and between people, then everything will last forever.

In the hustle and bustle of life, struggling to make a living, Nguyen Tham did not let herself get caught up in that whirlpool, but she always took a moment to calm her soul and feel the cultural features and living customs of the people in a foreign land, then associated and compared them with her homeland in a burning nostalgia. The two traditional Tet holidays of the nation, Nguyen Dan and Doan Ngo, were described by her in detail, meticulously highlighting the personality, culture and concepts of the people here and her homeland in the North. Although there are many differences, in general, they are still gratitude to the origin, the sacredness of the family, the sharing and caring between people in the community. That is probably the reason why she devoted all her love to Dong Nai land as the place where she was born and raised. So that every step she takes on this land, she is immersed in the deep, profound emotions and writes her first memoir that touches people's hearts.

Going through each place, through the stories of each character, each historical witness, makes the picture of Dong Nai land leave a deep impression in the hearts of readers, urging them to want to experience and explore this sacred but dynamic and charming land at least once in their life.

Le Thi Xuan

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202505/theo-chan-co-tham-kham-pha-dat-dong-nai-00419ed/