Love for the land and its people through the pages of a book.

Having been associated with Phu Yen for over 30 years, in addition to his professional work, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Son has undertaken numerous research projects imbued with deep affection for his second homeland. With his latest book, "Phu Yen's Products in Folk Songs and Ballads," author Nguyen Hoai Son has "drawn a map of Phu Yen's products," allowing readers to further appreciate and cherish this land of Phu Yen.

MSc. Nguyen Hoai Son. Photo: YEN LAN

Folklore researcher Nguyen Hoai Son had long conceived the idea for this project because he recognized the abundance of products in Phu Yen province; many of which have become specialties such as Da Trang mangoes, O Loan blood cockles, lobsters, crabs, etc. He wanted to explore Phu Yen's products through the lens of folklore, specifically through folk songs and proverbs. “Folk songs about local products have survived through time, showing that these products not only have utilitarian value but also cultural significance. It's not by chance that O Loan blood cockles are delicious. It's not by chance that Da Trang mangoes are a specialty. These products have undergone the filtering process of time. Many products are cultivated by humans, but if the soil, climate, and ecological characteristics are unsuitable, they will not be delicious and will not be widely known. Thus, the products themselves have 'regionalized,' reflecting the values ​​of the land, climate, and production experience of the local people... Therefore, the products reflected in folk songs contain knowledge about the land and the people,” shared folk art researcher Nguyen Hoai Son.

The book "Phu Yen's Products in Folk Songs and Ballads," nearly 170 pages long, comprises three chapters: An Overview of Phu Yen Province, Natural Products, and Man-Made Products. The appendix summarizes and categorizes Phu Yen's products in folk songs and related genres. Master's student Nguyen Hoai Son stated that he carefully considered the book's structure and decided to divide the products into two main groups: firstly, products found in nature that can be exploited by humans, and secondly, products created by humans. Within the natural products group, he further divides them into terrestrial and aquatic, plant and animal categories.

Regarding land-based products, it's impossible not to mention the famous products that have been passed down through folk songs:

Clouds obscure the summit of Mount Sam.

Let's go together to search for agarwood in Phu Yen.

Even the highest mountains have their own kindling.

Sandalwood, ebony, and other precious woods resound throughout the land .

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Son explained: "In the past, on Hon Co mountain, located in Ea Trol commune, Song Hinh district, there was a large forest of agarwood trees. Local people often came to this mountain to search for agarwood and exploit many types of precious wood... Agarwood and other types of wood such as rosewood, sandalwood, ebony, and ebony not only have high economic value but also have great practical value in the lives of the people of Phu Yen."

The book "Phu Yen's Products in Folk Songs and Ballads." Photo: YEN LAN

Regarding animals, many elderly people in Phu Yen know this folk verse:

I love you, and I want to come over too.

Afraid of the tigers of Lá Mountain, afraid of the ghosts of Bãi Điều Beach.

Regarding aquatic products, the author divides them into freshwater products and saltwater/brackish water products. The richness of aquatic products in Phu Yen is reflected in folk songs:

My hometown has many streams and ponds.

Therefore, with plenty of rice, the pot is full and easy to serve.

Even more shrimp and prawns!

The spiny, vibrant green catfish bites the hook.

There is a lot of rice in the Lau field.

There are many rice paddies, and rice paddies near the river.

Outside the field, there is also inside the field...

(Bald pools are deep pools of water, smaller in area than ponds).

Saltwater produce includes countless fish, shrimp, clams, and scallops. There's a folk saying:

The best fish is the Cù Mông fish.

The best rice is the rice from Phu Luong fields.

Regarding man-made products, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Son categorizes them into groups: agricultural products (rice, corn, potatoes, cassava, various vegetables, fruits, beans); livestock products (various types of livestock and poultry); culinary products (dishes, drinks, cakes and pastries for holidays, festivals, weddings, and ancestral commemorations); and products from traditional craft villages (agricultural tools, fishing tools, household goods, handicrafts, etc.).

Reading folk songs about local produce makes me love my homeland even more:

Tuy Hoa has abundant rice and many ears of grain.

I've come here to become sworn brothers with you, so that people may find peace and tranquility.

Or:

Looking up at the Red Land, there's plenty of corn and potatoes.

Looking down at Dong Dai, there's lots of sugarcane and thatch.

My love is like Tien Chau fish sauce.

Like Triem Duc road, like Quang Minh betel leaf

In the past, people in some areas of Phu Yen province practiced the craft of growing mulberry trees and raising silkworms to produce silk for weaving. There is a folk saying:

I'm leaving the mat for someone else to sleep on.

Who will pick the mulberry leaves when the mulberry trees are left untended, and who will weave the silkworm cocoons when

Old mulberry leaves and small silkworms are difficult to bind.

I asked my cousin how his business was doing.

Speaking of traditional crafts, it's impossible not to mention the once-famous silk weaving craft in Ngan Son (An Thach, Tuy An) and the mat weaving craft.

Cu Du land is a good place for projection.

No territory is as good as Ngan Son territory.

Near An Thach is An Dinh, a place where several traditional crafts are still preserved today. The products of An Dinh have also been immortalized in folk songs:

Who wants to go to An Dinh with me?

Where there's the craft of basket weaving, there's the village of fragrant rice flakes...

MSc. Nguyen Hoai Son shared: “The products of Phu Yen in folk songs reflect the richness of the land and are the pride of the people of Phu Yen. These folk songs are a precious intangible cultural heritage, preserving much information about products, natural resources, topography, geomorphology, land, soil, climate, and folk knowledge containing cultural and humanistic values ​​created by the people of Phu Yen throughout the long history of exploring and developing the land.”

Studying Phu Yen's products through folk songs means exploring the region's folk knowledge and the local people's production experiences. Applying this folk knowledge in combination with modern economic conditions and science and technology can help develop these products into local brands.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Son (pen names Huong Thanh, Huong Thao Truc), born in 1960, is from Phu Tho province and currently lives with his family in Tuy Hoa City. He is a member of the Phu Yen Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, the Vietnam Folk Arts Association, and the Vietnam Journalists Association. He previously served as Chairman of the Union of Science and Technology Associations of Phu Yen province and Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Phu Yen province before retiring.

"Phu Yen's Products in Folk Songs and Ballads" is the seventh book by Master's student Nguyen Hoai Son, following: Tuy Hoa Folk Tales (2001), Tuy Hoa - Cultural Environment and Development (2003), Phu Yen Stone Cultural Heritage (2011), Dong Tac Coastal Village Folk Beliefs (2011), Mystical Da Bia (2013), Hoanh Lam Ancient Village Folk Culture (2017), and Tay Hoa Proverbs, Riddles, and Folk Songs - Cultural Heritage of a Region (2022). In addition, Master's student Nguyen Hoai Son is also a co-author and co-editor of dozens of books on history and culture.

Studies on folklore and arts reflect the unique and fascinating perspectives of the researchers. The works of Master's student Nguyen Hoai Son are imbued with his deep love for this land.

That love is subtly present in every page of the book , "Phu Yen's Products in Folk Songs and Ballads."

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/van-nghe/202506/tinh-dat-tinh-nguoi-qua-trang-sach-66514e9/