Lang Son, a land of gratitude

I've traveled back and forth many times in the Northwest and Northeast regions of our country, but this is only my second time in Lang Son. Unlike my first trip 20 years ago, the journey from Hanoi to Lang Son now is incredibly smooth on the highway. Sitting in the car, I can see how much the country has changed and developed right here.

The folk song "Who will go to Lang Son with me?" kept echoing... Looking out the window, on the left side of the highway near the city center were endless ranges of limestone mountains. Someone exclaimed, "Chi Lang Pass!" That's right, in the past, Chi Lang Pass was right next to the road, but now the new highway makes it visible from afar. Thanks to the distance, the mountain peaks, a pale silver color like the hair of white-haired warriors with glaring eyes, swords drawn, looking north, are clearly visible. Then, suddenly, my mind wandered to this land, the place with the Nam Quan Pass, a place of lingering resentment in ancient poetry, and the Ky Cung River flowing upstream with so many famous landmarks: Dong Dang has Ky Lua Street / There's To Thi, there's Tam Thanh Pagoda…

We called this trip a journey back to our roots. The vast, undulating landscape of the Northeast arc, many places being the northernmost point of the country, but arguably Lang Son was the place that suffered the most brutal and senseless war, a war no one could have foreseen. From the desolate wasteland after the war, the city center of Lang Son now boasts long, green streets, towering skyscrapers, bustling markets, and the Ky Cung River still flows gently like a silken ribbon in the borderland afternoon.

Border marker 1106 at Huu Nghi International Border Gate.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dong Bac, Editor-in-Chief of Lang Son Newspaper and Radio-Television Station, Lang Son Radio-Television Station was different from other provincial stations across the country. In the early 1980s, there was a war of sound and images here, similar to the war of loudspeakers and flags on both sides of the Hien Luong Bridge and Ben Hai River in the past. That is, both sides of the border were competing to upgrade sound quality and change frequencies. Of course, our colleagues on the Vietnamese side, especially the technical staff, risked their lives on the icy Mau Son mountain peak during the cold winter to meticulously maintain the signal, delivering every news item and report. Mr. Dong Bac said: "Now it's stable, even people on the other side of the border have received a good signal and have written letters praising the quality of our programs."

Of course, peace is what everyone longs for. We arrived at the Huu Nghi International Border Gate at noon, the sun shining brightly like honey, spreading like a carpet all along the way. The border gate was neither large nor small. On our side, the construction was impressive, with a covered walkway for tourists, a commercial center with duty-free shops, a border guard station, customs... everything was complete. We took photos at the border gate and the border marker. I've been to many border gates and taken photos with border markers many times, but each time I feel deeply moved and emotional...

The night in Lang Son was full of stars. At our request, our colleague led us to Milestone Zero. This is the setting for the famous photograph of a soldier wearing a pith helmet, propping his B41 rifle on top of the milestone. The soldier didn't say much about himself, but his image became a symbol of national defense during the 1979 Northern Border War. He didn't talk about himself, but he wasn't anonymous. Nearly two decades later, many reporters from major newspapers have written about him. His real name is Tran Duy Cung (also known as Tran Huy Cung), from Tien Hai, Thai Binh province. A veteran who fought against the Americans, Cung fought bravely in the Quang Tri battlefield during its most intense period. In 1967, Cung was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown to work as a laborer. However, when the invaders crossed the border, he immediately re-enlisted and joined the 540th Regiment, 327th Infantry Division, 14th Corps. He later recounted that his powerful, hateful B41 rounds contributed to inflicting decisive blows on the enemy, along with his comrades, with the vow to defend his homeland and country to the last drop of blood.

Deeply moved, all members of the delegation wanted to take a commemorative photo with this landmark. Seeing us choosing our positions and adjusting our camera angles, a middle-aged man across the street cheerfully ran over and said, “If you need anything for your photos, I can provide it for you, free of charge. I have everything, from military uniforms and pith helmets to even a B41 rifle made of plastic that looks just like the real thing…” We were speechless, silently thanking a citizen of Lang Son who, through his actions, had multiplied this symbol of patriotism many times over.

But Lang Son is not just a sacred place that survived war, not just a border region with towering limestone mountains and fragrant orchards of star anise and cinnamon. Lang Son also captivated us with the warmth of its cuisine from the Northeast highlands. Meals with colleagues offered us the delightfully sweet and crispy taste of wild greens, steaming platters of local pork sausage and offal, and fragrant sticky rice... All of these combined to create a vibrant tapestry, a simple meal elevated to a cultural experience. Sipping a glass of strong, herbal rice wine, all doubts vanished from my mind as I recited the verses: “Who will go to Lang Son with me? Forgetting the efforts of my parents who raised me. Holding a gourd of wine and a handful of spring rolls, in the midst of joy, I forget all your admonitions.”

Did the character in the folk song forget her words of advice? As for me, I will always remember that one trip, that one return to the affectionate land of Lang Son, a place in the Northeast of our country overflowing with love.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/phong-su-ky-su/202508/xu-lang-an-tinh-3150f62/