08:35, 23/07/2023
The Gia Dien and Chu Hung areas (Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province) were once the "foundation" and "capital" of Vietnam's resistance arts and culture, where artists immersed themselves in the resistance against foreign invaders and the lives of the people...
Following the wide, paved road at the foot of the rolling palm hills and vast green tea plantations of the midland region, we stopped at Zone 2, Gia Dien commune, where a memorial plaque stands on a large plot of land. Beside the plaque, which commemorates an event, is the former headquarters of the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts – the predecessor of the current National Committee of the Union of Vietnamese Literature and Arts Associations – and also where the first issue of the Literature and Arts Magazine was published. The ancient kapok tree is no more; in its place stands a smaller, taller young kapok tree, casting its shadow over the historical plaque and a large area of land.
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| The family of poet Luu Quang Vu revisited Chu Hung, Gia Dien. |
In 1948, Gia Dien was a stopover point for a group of artists and writers on their journey to Viet Bac. At that time, it was a desolate area with sparse population, overgrown with dense forests and hills, and only a small dirt road leading into the commune. Among the artists and writers were poets, painters, and musicians such as To Huu, Nguyen Dinh Thi, Ngo Tat To, Nam Cao, Kim Lan, Xuan Dieu, Huy Can, Hoai Thanh, Nguyen Huy Tuong, Luu Huu Phuoc, and To Ngoc Van… They chose this place as a stopover point to organize artistic activities to serve the nation's protracted resistance war.
Gia Dien is the birthplace of the poetic letter written by the poet To Huu. This special letter was written by To Huu at the home of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Gai to comfort and encourage her after many nights of rain and wind, during which she wept with longing for her son who had gone to war and for whom she had received no letters or news. Mrs. Gai worried that amidst the fierce bombing and shelling, sacrifice was inevitable. Knowing this, To Huu wrote the poem "Mother" and pretended to send it to her. When he read it to Mrs. Gai, she was deeply moved and smiled gently, reassured that her son was safe and sound on the battlefield.
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| The Literature and Arts Newspaper organized a trip to Gia Dien in March 2023 to revisit historical sites. |
One might think that the poem was meant only for his mother, but unexpectedly, in the distant, fierce battlefields of the Viet Bac war zones, soldiers fighting far from home copied the poem to send to their mothers back home, who were anxiously awaiting news of their sons. And so, that affection blended with the family love and patriotism of countless soldiers and people during those arduous and meaningful years of resistance, and continues to this day: “I go to the distant front lines / I love my mother and my country, both my dear mothers.”
Chu Hung, located about 3 km from Gia Dien, is a village in Am Ha commune (Ha Hoa district). Along with Gia Dien, Chu Hung was also a stopping point and center for artistic activities for many artists during the resistance against the French. For a time, Chu Hung village was considered a miniature Hanoi, as it served not only as a gathering place for resistance artists but also as an evacuation point for people from the lowlands, many of whom were residents of the capital. When they arrived in Chu Hung, the villagers brought with them traditional crafts to continue their livelihoods and the culinary traditions of Hanoi to open restaurants and eateries.
During the journey to Phu Tho with the group of artists and writers, the family of artist Luu Quang Thuan and his wife, Vu Thi Khanh, were present. Initially, the family stayed with the group in Goc Gao village, Gia Dien commune, then moved to Ao Chau area (formerly Am Thuong, where the artists were active) and finally to Chu Hung. In Gia Dien, on April 17, 1948, artist Luu Quang Thuan and his wife gave birth to their eldest son, Luu Quang Vu, who later became a talented poet and playwright of modern Vietnamese literature. At the age of 15, poet Luu Quang Vu wrote the poem "Chu Hung Village," expressing the love and longing of someone born in this land: "Oh Chu Hung, lying at night listening to the stream flowing / Listening to the wind and the sound of deer in the deep forest / Oh Chu Hung, cassava buried in the red hearth / Warmth of unforgettable days of hardship."
In his later works, the imagery of the midland region of Ha Hoa reappeared in the poetry of Luu Quang Vu as something sacred, familiar, and warm. And then, when far from Chu Hung, Luu Quang Vu considered it "The small stream that runs through the forest there / Is the source of the beloved river and sea / Even when going to the sea and the river, I will always remember / White forest flowers... oh Chu Hung, Chu Hung!"
Stories about the era of resistance arts and culture are still preserved and retold by the people of the midland region for generations…
Nguyen The Luong
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