The storytellers of Truong Bon

A bridge connecting the past and the present.

These days, people from all over are returning to Truong Bon to commemorate the events of October 31, 1968, when the fierce bombing raids by the American enemy permanently buried 13 young volunteers in the heart of Truong Bon. Among this bustling crowd, Vi Thi Hoa, a young girl from the Thai ethnic minority, also traveled over 150 kilometers from Ta Soi village, Chau Hanh commune, Quy Chau district to this sacred land.

Amidst the swirling incense smoke, the narrator's warm, expressive voice deeply touched Hoa's emotions. Listening to the story, she understood more about historical facts, and the seemingly dry dates and numbers from textbooks became incredibly vivid and real. She understood that during those days when American bombs ravaged her homeland, thousands of young men and women of the Youth Volunteer Force here had forged an unwavering will and determination.

"Live clinging to bridges and roads, die bravely and resolutely" is a slogan, and also a way of life. The heroic sacrifice of the "Steel Squad," who fell at the prime of their lives, when Hoai was just 17 and Tam was only 22... Even more heartbreaking, five of them were supposed to be attending vocational schools tomorrow, their acceptance letters still wrapped in handkerchiefs; and some were just a little bit away from their weddings.

More than anywhere else, more than anything else, right here at Truông Bồn, in the storytelling of the tour guides, little Vi Thị Hòa deeply understood that the young volunteers lived and fought for the common ideals of the entire nation, dedicating their youth to the Fatherland and contributing to writing a legend of Truông Bồn in the 20th century.

At Truông Bồn, Vi Thị Hòa and her friends also participated in a meaningful question-and-answer program. The tour guides posed questions to encourage the young people to express their understanding, affection, and gratitude for the sacrifices of the 13 heroes and martyrs at the Truông Bồn site. In the eyes of tourists like Vi Thị Hòa, the tour guides appeared beautiful, their voices warm and inspiring. They were a "bridge" between the past and the present, between Truông Bồn and the rest of the world.

The tour guide whom Vi Thi Hoa and her friends admire is Nguyen Thi Nhung (born in 1990), a native of Thanh Chuong.

She recounted that her 10 years as a tour guide at Truông Bồn stemmed from a special circumstance. Having previously worked as an office clerk, she hesitated greatly before applying for a position unrelated to her field of study. However, driven by a deep love for this historical landmark deeply ingrained in the consciousness of the people of Nghe An, and a desire to challenge herself with a job she loved, Nhung diligently practiced her storytelling skills and accumulated knowledge. And then, her happiness overflowed when she convincingly surpassed dozens of other candidates.

However, behind that honor comes an immense responsibility. Every year, the historical site welcomes tens of thousands of visitors, the majority of whom are veterans, former youth volunteers, and heroic Vietnamese mothers… These are living witnesses, people who lived through a time of war and conflict, coming here to reminisce about a glorious past. Standing before them and telling them about historical stories is indeed a great pressure.

During peak times, due to the overwhelming number of customers, Nhung and her colleagues have to work continuously in the hot, sunny weather outdoors. Many times, they have to put down their bowls of rice as soon as a new group of customers arrives so they can quickly greet them. Even when their throats are hoarse and they can barely speak, they still try their best to support each other and complete their assigned tasks.

After many years of dedicated work, Ms. Nhung has always received the love and appreciation of everyone who comes here. Every emotional moment from tourists, every gesture of gratitude towards the heroes and martyrs after hearing their stories, motivates her and her colleagues to continue with their noble mission.

The passion for the craft will always burn brightly.

Among the tour guides at Truông Bồn, there are some very young people, but with a burning passion for their profession, like tour guide Phạm Thanh Hảo. When I visited Truông Bồn, joining a group of tourists from Quảng Ninh province, I witnessed a veteran silently wiping away tears of emotion as he listened to Ms. Hảo's story. Her powerful, deep voice, with its genuine emotional resonance, conveyed the story of this place of fire, touching the hearts of the visitors.

Taking advantage of a lull in visitors, Hao finally had time to share her thoughts about her work. According to her, the visitors are diverse in background and age, therefore, tour guides must constantly innovate, ponder, and find unique ways to guide, carefully selecting information and knowledge suitable for each audience. She may have given hundreds of guided tours, telling the same story, but the emotions she conveys each time are different. This difference stems from genuine feelings, true love, and gratitude. Tour guides must ensure that through each story, each visitor understands the heroic historical atmosphere of previous generations. Only then can they inspire a sense of tragic beauty, pride, motivation, and responsibility in today's generation.

Tour guide Pham Thanh Hao further shared that, remarkably, all three female tour guides at Truong Bon have husbands working in the police or military, often away on business trips. Therefore, all the worries about children, family, and work fall on their small shoulders. Sometimes, her 5-year-old child asks, "When will you be home with me on Saturdays and Sundays?" At such times, Ms. Hao only knows how to teach her child independence, to share the workload, and to be more understanding of her. She also often takes her child to visit Truong Bon, witnessing the crowds of people coming to pay tribute to the heroes and martyrs, thus instilling in the child a sense of pride in the work their mother does.

Along with Hao, the young female tour guide Nguyen Ha Thu (born in 1995) is also a girl who has made many positive impressions on tourists visiting Truong Bon. Thu joined the Party in 2017, while still a student at Vinh University. That was an important milestone that ignited Thu's love for her current chosen profession.

Every day, Nguyen Ha Thu travels over 30 kilometers from Hung Trung (Hung Nguyen) to Truong Bon, but all her fatigue disappears when she puts on her familiar green uniform, which she has worn for many years. With her captivating and expressive voice, and her meticulous attention to detail in every task, Thu has created beautiful impressions and stories during the people's journey of gratitude to Truong Bon.

It can be said that each tour guide has their own life story, their own unique hardships and difficulties, but they all share a common effort, passion, and love for their work. They all feel fortunate to be able to contribute to spreading the value of the Truông Bồn National Historical Monument to friends and tourists both domestically and internationally.

"In the first nine months of 2023, the site welcomed 260,000 visitors; in 2022, it welcomed 200,000 visitors. Despite such a large number of visitors, there are only three tour guides. Meanwhile, the requirements for tour guides are much higher and more stringent than for other professions. Each tour guide must first and foremost be a person with professional qualifications, possessing solid and in-depth knowledge of culture and history. At the same time, they must have communication skills, flexible behavior, an engaging and attractive voice; good health, patience, and a love for the profession."

Mr. Phan Trong Loc - Director of the Management Board of Truong Bon National Historical Relic Site