During the Lunar New Year holidays, while many families gather around the first meal of the year, soldiers on the border remain on guard, patrolling and observing even the smallest signs along the border. There is no change in duty, no exception during this most sacred time of the year. Because for soldiers, protecting the homeland means there is no such thing as a "holiday break."

Officers and soldiers of the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard patrol and control the border area.

Not being able to go home for Tet (Lunar New Year) with family is a familiar part of military life, but it's never easy. Behind every shift lies a longing kept within. Children miss their fathers, wives miss their husbands, parents yearn for their children back home. These emotions don't need to be expressed, but everyone carries them with them when they begin their first shift of the year.

During those rare moments of rest, the telephone becomes the link between the border and the home front. Short calls, sometimes just enough to exchange a few words of greeting and remind each other to take care of their health. The soldier hears the voices of his children, his wife, his parents, then quietly puts away the phone and returns to duty. The longing doesn't disappear, but it's placed after responsibility.

At the border, soldiers understand very well where they stand and for what purpose. The border is not just a geographical dividing line, but the culmination of the history of nation-building and national defense, earned with the sweat and blood of countless generations. Maintaining the border today is a continuation of that tradition, a fulfillment of the soldier's oath to the Fatherland and the people.

Spring in the border region therefore takes on a different meaning. It is not just the changing of seasons, but the silent continuation of responsibility. In the biting wind, in the darkness of night, the patrolling footsteps of soldiers follow in the footsteps of their fathers and brothers of yesteryear. This tradition is not often mentioned in words, but is preserved through actions, through perseverance and discipline day after day, year after year.

On the front lines, comrades are family. Simple Tet meals, brief New Year's greetings, and firm handshakes serve as a promise. No words are needed, because everyone understands that their presence here is the most complete way for a soldier to celebrate Tet.

Over the years, staying on duty during Tet (Lunar New Year) has become a part of the Army's tradition. This tradition has been nurtured through springs without reunions, through hurried phone calls, and through quiet shifts on New Year's Eve. It is a tradition of placing the interests of the nation above personal gain, and the peace of the people above one's own well-being.

Spring arrives in the borderlands, thus evoking not only nostalgia but also affirming the courage of soldiers ready to stay when the country needs them, ready to set aside personal feelings to preserve national peace. It is from these silent springs that the spring of the nation is preserved sustainably.

Spring arrives quietly and without fanfare at the border. There, spring is present in each silent shift, in the unwavering resolve of the soldiers ready to stay when the country needs them. While the people celebrate Tet in peace, on the front lines, soldiers stand firm amidst the spring breeze, continuing the tradition of defending the nation with responsibility and discipline. It is from these springs without reunions that the spring of the Fatherland is preserved intact and enduring through the years.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/xuan-ve-noi-bien-cuong-1025542