Love lasts forever.

QTO - Time silently slips away, impossible to hold back. It feels like only yesterday, but 24 years have already passed since I started my career in journalism. During that time, journalism has given me the opportunity to travel to many places and rural areas to explore, discover, share, and accumulate knowledge and life experience. Remote villages, secluded hamlets, and ordinary yet resilient people have left a deep impression on me. Each trip is a lesson, each encounter an experience, and each completed piece of work is a joy that makes me love and become more attached to my profession.

In my writing career, the subject matter I'm most passionate about is culture and arts, and I'm fortunate to have worked for many years in the Culture and Society Department of the former Quang Binh Newspaper. That was a time when I was able to fully immerse myself in the field I loved.

The more I write about literature and art, the more fascinated I become, because I have the opportunity to meet many talented artists and writers and be inspired by their creative passion. The dedication to their craft and the passion for art of folk artists, writers, poets, musicians, painters... have created a positive energy, giving me more motivation when I put pen to paper.

I remember once going to the home of musician Nguyen Minh Tam in Dong Le commune to write an article about him when he had just become a new member of the Vietnam Musicians Association. That trip gave me the opportunity to meet many musicians, including musician Nguyen Van Bong.

After sharing stories about music and his career, composer Nguyen Van Bong told me a lot about composer Dinh Gia Hoa—a native of Quang Binh (formerly) who established his career in Da Nang City, a brother and friend whom he greatly respected. He said: “Dinh Gia Hoa is a composer of love. He loves his homeland with all sincerity. From a small road, a familiar street corner, a gentle river in his hometown, to the ordinary people around him, everything can become a source of inspiration for his compositions.”

Field trip by reporters from the Special Programs Department - Quang Tri Newspaper and Radio & Television - Photo: Nh.V

After hearing those stories, I called to ask if I could meet composer Dinh Gia Hoa when he had the chance to return to his hometown. To my surprise, just a few minutes later, he called back and said he would take a train to Dong Hoi that very night to meet me the next morning. That day, seeing the gray hair of the composer, who was over 80 years old, I couldn't help but feel guilty that he had to travel hundreds of kilometers by train to meet a fellow countryman who loved music – me.

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4,800 chicks were distributed to households in Dan Hoa commune.QTO - On June 25th, the Project Management Board of the "Supporting agricultural livelihoods adapting to climate change to enhance the role of women in disadvantaged communes" project under the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with the Plan Quang Tri Office, organized the distribution of chicken breeds and the implementation of a hybrid chicken farming model for ethnic minority households in Dan Hoa commune.

The Provincial Military Party Committee issued a resolution guiding the implementation of military and national defense tasks and Party building.QTO - On the morning of June 25th, the Provincial Military Party Committee held a conference to issue a resolution on leading the implementation of military and national defense tasks and Party building for the last six months of 2026. Comrades Nguyen Van Phuong, Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Secretary of the Provincial Military Party Committee, and Major General Ngo Nam Cuong, Deputy Commander of Military Region 4, presided over the conference. Also in attendance were comrades Le Hong Vinh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and Colonel Phan Thang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Commander of the Provincial Military Command.

Sharing experiences in local government management with local leaders in Khammouane province.QTO - On the morning of June 25th, in Dong Hoi ward, the Department of Foreign Affairs organized the opening of a conference to introduce and exchange experiences on the organization and management of commune-level government models for commune-level leaders of Khammouane province (Laos). Attending from Quang Tri province was Mr. Nguyen Luong Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department. From Khammouane province, the delegation included Mr. Sai-kham Pha-xay-sit-thi-det, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, along with representatives of commune-level government leaders.

Seeing my hesitation, he smiled brightly and said, "Coming back to my hometown makes even distance feel close, my dear. The road from Da Nang to Dong Hoi has never felt far to me; it's like the journey from my house in Dong Hai (formerly Dong Hai ward, now Dong Hoi ward) to Con (Dong Son ward). Besides, I always think, don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. I'm getting old, and as long as I'm healthy, I'll give it my all."

That day, I had the opportunity to listen to composers Dinh Gia Hoa and Nguyen Van Bong passionately sing love songs about their homeland and share many touching stories about their artistic journeys. I asked composer Dinh Gia Hoa about the secret to maintaining his creativity and enduring love for his profession over the years. He smiled gently and said, "Because in my heart, there is always love. Love for life, love for my profession, love for existence. An artist doesn't allow their soul to grow old, even with gray hair and wrinkled skin..."

Through my work as a journalist, I've had the opportunity to meet and converse with many veteran musicians of Quang Tri's music scene, such as Hoang Song Huong, Duong Viet Chien, and Le Duc Tri... I've noticed that, regardless of the circumstances, they always maintain a passionate spirit to contribute sweet and profound songs about their homeland. For them, simply living fully with their passion for music makes them forget about age and any personal barriers, because they always have a fervent love for their homeland.

I was also fortunate to have had the opportunity to interact with many renowned writers from across the country and within the province, such as Nguyen Quang Thieu, Bao Ninh, Do Thanh Dong, Nguyen Tien Nen, Hoang Thuy Anh, Trac Diem…; painters such as Nguyen Luong Sang, Nguyen Quoc Vuong…; People's Artist Thuy Linh, young singer Thanh Oai, photographers such as Le Duc Thanh, Hoang An, Thanh Vuong, Nguyen Hai… and many folk artisans in the countryside.

Looking at their artistic journey, I truly admire them. They have given me the energy to write and become more passionate about this subject matter, and they have also helped me realize many valuable things in life. It's their dedication and unwavering enthusiasm that, whenever I face difficulties or obstacles, just thinking of them gives me the motivation to keep going…

Journalism has given me the opportunity to witness the simple yet profoundly significant things in life. These include teachers battling a terminal illness who persevere in teaching, students overcoming hardship to excel academically, and those who quietly volunteer to help the community without seeking recognition. Some of their difficult circumstances brought tears to my eyes. But it was from their stories that I learned resilience, optimism, and faith in the good. Each person, each story, left me with invaluable lessons.

The greatest happiness that journalism has brought me is not just the articles I've published, but more importantly, the affection of the people I've met. Occasionally, I still receive phone calls or gifts such as poetry collections, essays, or new musical works from teachers, folk artists, veterans, or writers I've had the chance to meet. Amidst the hustle and bustle of work, just hearing a familiar phrase like, "How are you? It's been a while since I've seen you on assignment," is enough to warm my heart.

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Implement vibrant, practical, and effective emulation activities.QTO - On the morning of June 25th, the Emulation Bloc of Party Agencies held a conference to approve the operational regulations and the plan for organizing emulation activities in 2026. Comrade Ly Kieu Van, Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Department, and Head of the Emulation Bloc of Party Agencies, chaired the conference. Representatives from relevant agencies and units also attended.

Opening up development opportunities based on effective economic models.QTO - By effectively exploiting existing potential and advantages, along with resources from national target programs, especially the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction, Ba Long commune is gradually forming many effective economic development models. From specialized crop cultivation areas to cooperatives investing in agricultural product processing, these models not only contribute to increasing people's income but also open up a sustainable development direction for the locality.

Looking back, I realize that journalism has given me more than I ever imagined. It not only provided me with opportunities to travel, learn, grow, and live a life full of experiences, but it also helped me continuously learn, accumulate knowledge, and mature. The places I've visited, the people I've met, the stories I've heard have all become colorful pieces on my journey. And it is journalism that has taught me to love, share more, and appreciate the simple yet incredibly precious values ​​of life.

Nh.V

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202606/tinh-yeu-con-mai-8641b1a/