Love people, love life through every word.

Every time we meet and chat with her, we feel energized, positive, optimistic, and cheerful. Time seems to be kind to her, because I believe no one can guess her true age due to the dynamism and youthful energy radiating from her demeanor and lifestyle. She is writer Minh Hang, a member of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association.

After retiring, writer Minh Hang learned to play the guitar, fulfilling her dream of playing and singing.

Writer Minh Hang was formerly the Head of the Party Building Department at the Thai Nguyen Newspaper (old).   After a long period since her retirement (in 2017), due to circumstances, we rarely saw each other. So when I called to express my desire to visit, she happily agreed to meet, which made me very happy.

Meeting her, still looking the same as ever, neat and cheerful, I instinctively asked a thoughtless question: "Have you been retired for three years yet?" She smiled brightly and said, "More than eight years already!" The timeframe startled me and made me feel embarrassed. Eight years had passed so quickly. Time truly waits for no one, it flies by like a fleeting shadow, but those eight years seemed to have made her "no different" from the days when we were colleagues, when we were subordinates to "the boss"...

Memories flooded back like a film reel, some happy, some sad, but reminisced amidst lively laughter and cheerful conversation. She was always like that, full of enthusiasm and positive energy in every situation. When she worked as a journalist, I read almost all of her articles. Because I found in her writing style a "quality" that I liked: soft, smooth, ethereal, romantic, and brimming with the breath of life, yet hidden within each word was a deep concern and humanistic reflection on social issues that readers cared about; a sincere empathy and sharing with those less fortunate.

Besides being a talented journalist, she also writes poetry, sings, dances, plays music… And she says: Only after retiring did she truly have more time for those passions! These things always bring her joy and peace of mind every day. She rarely interferes in her children's affairs, only encouraging and motivating them to pursue their dreams.

The higher and farther her children fly, the more peaceful and happy she becomes. Just like with her husband, she always supports and accompanies him in pursuing his passion for photography. Together, they build a warm and happy family.

Hearing her say that, I involuntarily reproached myself. Even though she's a whole zodiac cycle older than me, I seem to live and think like an old-fashioned person, never truly living for my own interests. She gave me another life lesson. I say this because, since our time working together at Thai Nguyen Newspaper, I've learned so much from her, from how to interact with people and write articles to how to care for my skin and hair...

Writer Minh Hang converses with artisans in the program "Viet Bac Then Colors," August 2025.

Meeting her again today, with the same smile and voice unchanged by time, she excitedly spoke about her achievements as a "retired official": We are entering the era of technology and digital transformation. In 2024, she organized a class at her home on image rendering techniques on mobile phones using KineMaster software, with 12 participants. She also learned content writing for posting on Zalo and TikTok and is currently participating in the "People Learn AI" movement, primarily to identify fake images and harmful videos created by scammers using artificial intelligence for malicious purposes. In March 2025, she plans to organize another class on artificial intelligence (AI) with 20 participants. All classes are taught free of charge by highly qualified young professionals.

Then she confided, "Our profession is journalism. My love for words began in childhood, and the need to write is like blood and flesh to me. So, what should a retired person write about?" To satisfy her passion for writing, she directed her pen towards the core values ​​of life, the cultural roots, the accumulated heritage of this land. Her parents have lived in Thai Nguyen for over 100 years; she was born and raised here, which is the foundation for her to rediscover, understand, and write about her homeland.

Besides writing articles, she also writes books. Since retiring, she has contributed to five books. She has sold some of her books, earning nearly 4 million VND, and donated all of that money to three underprivileged children. Specifically, she donated 2.7 million VND to six-year-old Hoang Duc Cuong from residential area 6, Gia Sang ward, to help him pay for school fees and buy clothes.

I admire and respect her heart and vision. On the first day of winter, when I visited her family in Hamlet 13, Gia Sang Ward, my sister and I sat enjoying tea and chatting in a warm and peaceful atmosphere. She inspired me again, making me love my profession and people even more…

Writer Minh Hang is one of the few retired people in the province who have won awards in journalism competitions, such as: Bringing Party resolutions into life; and the essay and reportage award of Thai Nguyen Literature and Arts.

In 2024, she won three awards in competitions: the Political Commentary Competition on Protecting the Party's Ideological Foundation; the Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism Award; and the Award for Putting Party Resolutions into Life.

In 2025 alone, up to this November, she has won 5 awards in literary and journalism competitions.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202511/yeu-nguoi-yeu-doi-qua-tung-con-chu-4891892/