The sound of forest birds in the land of fire.

Having grown up in the trenches fighting against American imperialism, having served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the Plain of Jars (Laos), and later working in propaganda at Supply Depot 13 in Laos, writer Chau La Viet brings to his literature a rich life experience of a soldier who directly wielded a weapon.

That path led him to compose the epic poem "The Sound of Forest Birds and the Fiery Land of Tay Ninh " (People's Army Publishing House).

The epic poem "The Sound of Forest Birds and the Fiery Land of Tay Ninh" was warmly received by readers upon its release in 2025. Recently, the work was reprinted, becoming a notable phenomenon in contemporary war literature and receiving an award from the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association in 2025.

Chau La Viet chose Tay Ninh – the "land of fire" in Southern Vietnam – as the center of its artistic space. There, history unfolds through two parallel storylines of characters, sharing the same homeland, lineage, and both volunteering to fight in the South during the fierce years of the war against the US to save the nation. These are the heroic security officer operating secretly among the people and the female soldier-artist of the Liberation Army bringing her singing to the battlefield. Two destinies originating from the same village in the Northern Delta, meeting in the fierce battle zone, from which the core values ​​of revolutionary heroism shine: patriotism, unwavering commitment to the country and its people.

The epic poem's highlight lies in its cultural perspective. "The Song of the Forest Birds and the Fiery Land of Tay Ninh" not only writes about war but also profoundly incorporates the issues of family traditions and revolutionary lineages within the structure of Vietnamese culture.

In the epic poem, "family lineage" is not expressed through theoretical discourse or direct declarations, but permeates through the actions, life choices, and dedication of each individual. The revolutionary family tradition here is characterized by a simple lifestyle, a sense of responsibility to the community, and a silent acceptance of sacrifice for a greater cause. The heroic security officer carries this family tradition into the Tây Ninh battlefield, living among the people, relying on them as his foundation, and considering the survival of the people as the highest moral standard. It is this revolutionary family tradition that has forged the character's unwavering resolve, flexible intellect, and heroic personality.

Chau La Viet does not individualize the hero as a single phenomenon, but rather views the hero as the result of a family-village-national culture, where traditions are accumulated, passed down, and reborn through each generation. It is this structure that allows the epic to transcend the limits of a purely heroic epic, becoming an epic about Vietnamese cultural identity during the war.

NGUYEN TU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tieng-chim-rung-o-dat-lua-post937757.html