Stories about people from Nghe An in Vung Tau
(Baonghean.vn) - Most people from Nghe An living, working, and doing business in the coastal city of Vung Tau (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) are hardworking, united, and consider Vung Tau their second home, but they never forget their homeland of Nghe An - where they were born.
A good place attracts good people.
“Having worked and lived in Vung Tau for over 40 years, I have always considered Vung Tau my second home, but also a ‘foreign land.’ People from Nghe An always live up to the heroic traditions of their Soviet homeland,” confided Colonel Tran Van Giao, a retired naval officer originally from Do Luong district and currently residing in Vung Tau city.
It took several attempts to persuade Colonel Tran Van Giao before he finally agreed to meet me and ask about his personal and shared experiences over the past few decades of making a living in a foreign land. A steaming pot of green tea was brought from the kitchen to the guest room by Mrs. Hoa (Mr. Giao's wife). Mr. Giao began his story: "Many people from Nghe An live in Vung Tau. Each has a different profession, but they all share one thing in common: they are hardworking, resilient, and quite united. Vung Tau is my family's second home."
Mr. Giáo recounted: Coming from the poor village of Đặng Sơn, Đô Lương, Nghệ An, he joined the army in February 1975. The blood of the "Soviet Nghệ Tĩnh" flowed in his heart, and in 1988, he and his comrades on the HQ-11 ship of the 171st Naval Brigade sailed to Trường Sa to build islands.
After the "Gac Ma 1988" incident, Mr. Giao was considered a "survivor" who returned home. His military career was arduous, spending months and years on duty on the front lines of the Fatherland. He decided to choose Vung Tau as his place of residence and work, so in 1994, Mr. Giao brought his wife from Do Luong to live in Vung Tau.
In recognition of his contributions, the army allocated him a small plot of land on Cau Chay dirt road (now Do Luong road, Ward 11, Vung Tau city). “Those were very difficult times. Bringing my wife and children to Vung Tau, I didn't know how we would make a living with four mouths to feed. My wife had to do all sorts of jobs to earn money for rice. Later, she applied to teach at Phuoc Thang Secondary School. Vung Tau is a great place to live. Thanks to this land, my two children have become successful. My daughter is a doctor at the Vietnam-Russia joint venture Vietsovpetro, and my son works at the Saigon New Port Corporation. They both have stable families. Every year I return to my hometown because the graves of my grandparents, ancestors, and relatives are there,” Mr. Giao shared.
To better understand the people of Nghe An who make a living in this oil-rich coastal city, on a weekend afternoon, I took my camera to Long Cung beach. The waves roared, and the golden sun shone like honey. Approaching two fishermen untangling their nets on the scorching sand to ask about their livelihood, I was surprised to find out they were a married couple originally from Quynh Luu district (Nghe An province).
Nguyen Hai Dang, a man named Dang, said that he and his wife moved to Vung Tau in 2003 to start their lives there. Having worked as fishermen in their hometown, he chose to fish near the shore as their livelihood. Their work begins at 3 a.m., casting their nets along the Long Cung beach. They retrieve the nets at sunrise. “Although this job doesn’t earn a lot of money, it’s enough to live on and support our children’s education. The people of Vung Tau are very discerning eaters. They prefer buying freshly caught fish rather than iced fish, so the price is higher.”
“Are there many people from my hometown who work in the same profession as you?” I asked. “Over there. That’s Mrs. Sa. She’s from the same district as me. She’s in a difficult situation. Her husband died early, and she raised her children alone. But she’s very hardworking; everyone feels sorry for her,” Hai explained.
Promoting the talents of people from Nghe An
Choosing Vung Tau as his second home for his military career, Captain Nguyen Quang Anh - Head of the Cultural Center, Political Department, Border Guard Command of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province - is known as a "public figure" for his talent in transmitting Nghe An folk songs to officers and soldiers in his unit.
Originally from Quynh Thang commune, Quynh Luu district, Nguyen Quang Anh chose Vung Tau as his second home for two reasons: firstly, it's where his unit is stationed; secondly, he wants to bring the folk music culture of Nghe An into the coastal village culture of Vung Tau in his role as the Head of the Cultural Center of the Border Guard Command of Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
“I graduated from the Military University of Culture and Arts, majoring in Cultural Management. That foundational knowledge allowed me to introduce Nghe An folk songs to the officers and soldiers in my unit. Besides songs praising the army, the Party, and Uncle Ho, I take advantage of days off and breaks to sing Nghe An folk songs for the soldiers.”
"Not only do the soldiers from Nghe An like it, but many officers and soldiers feel the peace and tenderness in the lyrics when they hear me sing. For example, the song 'The People Building the Ke Go Lake' is one of the songs that the soldiers really love. That's how we people from Nghe An are. If we have talent and aptitude, we spread it to the community so that everyone can know and enjoy it. To develop my inherent talent, besides my main job as a soldier, I also write articles and poems to add more charm to life," Captain Quang Anh shared.
I met Ms. Le Thi Binh (originally from Lang Khe village, Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district) on the program "Joys and Sorrows of Youth" organized by the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Radio and Television Station. Recounting her life dedicated to teaching, Ms. Binh never forgot to mention the proud memories of her student days in 1978.
“In 1978, I, along with 600 students from Nghe An, were transferred to Dong Nai to study pedagogy. After liberation, the southeastern region of Vietnam suffered from a severe shortage of teachers. In 1983, I came to Vung Tau and taught there until my retirement. There are many people from Thanh Chuong district in Vung Tau. Many of them have become successful entrepreneurs in this area. Some are fishermen, some are factory workers, and some are traders. I would call it 'a Thanh Chuong in the heart of Vung Tau city'."
"One thing we're very proud of is our strong unity. Every year during Tet (Lunar New Year), we hold a meeting of the Nghe An hometown association in Vung Tau, and also the Thanh Chuong hometown association. Vung Tau city is a great place to live, friendly and peaceful. That's also why my children and grandchildren have all established their careers and grown up here," Ms. Binh shared.
