Meaningful experiences in the seaside town.

(Baonghean)After stops in Son La, Tuyen Quang, and Hanoi, on the afternoon of July 19th, more than 50 delegates of the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union participating in the "Vietnam-Lao Youth Friendship Meeting" program arrived in Cua Lo town, beginning their exciting activities in Nghe An province.

On the afternoon of July 19th, a sudden thunderstorm hit the coastal town in the middle of summer, instantly dispelling the fatigue of the young people after a long journey of over 300 kilometers.

Welcoming the Lao delegation at Hon Ngu Hotel, in addition to the town's leaders and the Cua Lo Youth Union, were 25 families from Nghi Huong and Nghi Thu wards.

Most of them are veterans, many of whom have spent years serving and fighting on the battlefields of Laos and Cambodia.

After a brief introduction, the initial meeting was truly impressive and moving as the veterans came forward to receive their "children" from Laos. Following this family reunion, the youth members from Laos will spend two days eating, staying, and experiencing the customs and traditions with the families in Nghi Hai and Nghi Thu wards.

As part of the 2012-2017 cooperation agreement between the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Vietnam and the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union, the "Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship Meeting" is an annual exchange program, and this year Nghe An province had the honor of hosting outstanding Lao youth. The idea of ​​Lao youth delegates living with Vietnamese families was a completely new initiative in this year's program. The Lao youth were very excited to experience, for the first time, a very ordinary life in a coastal family, something quite unfamiliar to a landlocked country like Laos.

On behalf of the Cua Lo Town Youth Union, Mr. Vo Minh Vy - Secretary of the Town Youth Union - shared: "Preparations have been underway for a month now. The most favorable thing for us is receiving the support and participation of many families; everyone is as happy as if their long-lost children or grandchildren were coming home to visit."

As the Chairman of the Veterans Association of Nghi Huong Ward, Mr. Hoang Khac Vinh was the first to register on the list. For him, mentioning Laos brings to mind Naxathong, a poor rural area not far from the capital Vientiane, where he spent two years fighting and directly defending during the Lao revolution. After nearly forty years of separation from his neighboring country, Mr. Vinh was overjoyed to finally meet the Lao people again today.

Even better, of the two children staying with the family, Mylivan is an official from the Lao Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and is very fluent in Vietnamese. Mylivan lives in Vientiane, is of Vietnamese origin, and has studied at a Vietnamese school in Laos for five years, so even though they had only been staying with the family for a little over a day, the two of them had already become very close.



The youth union members are gardening with the family of Ms. Hoang Thi Yen (Block 1, Nghi Huong Ward).

At Mr. Hoang Hai Dang's family home, the atmosphere has been lively for almost a week now, welcoming a special delegation from Laos. His wife, Mrs. Hoang Thi Nieng, despite her advanced age, volunteered to go to the market with her daughter. Knowing that Laos has no coastline, the two of them planned a menu that included specialties from Cua Lo: crab, squid, and shrimp paste for dipping.

Deeply moved by this heartfelt gesture, Phitxanai, from the Xieng Khouang Provincial Art Troupe, was touched. Although he doesn't speak Vietnamese, Phitxanai knows many Vietnamese songs such as: "Trong Com," "Soi Nho Soi Thuong," "Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay." On their very first night in Cua Lo, Mr. Dang's family enjoyed these very special performances. Mr. Hoang Khac Dan, Chairman of the Nghi Thu Ward Farmers' Association, even slaughtered a pig to treat the two young men from the Lao National Assembly Office, creating a lively atmosphere from 4 am onwards.



Lao youth union members, along with young people from Cua Lo, are tending to the landscape around the Martyrs' Cemetery Memorial in Nghi Huong ward.

Also as part of the activities in Cua Lo Town, on the morning of July 20th, the Nghi Huong Commune Youth Union, the Mobile Battalion of the General Department of Police, and 50 youth union members participating in the "Vietnam - Laos Youth Friendship Meeting" program organized a general cleanup at the Martyrs' Cemetery Memorial and the Nghi Huong Commune Cultural House.

As the oldest delegate, Mr. Chittayohan (41 years old), also from the Lao Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism, was deeply moved by this small act that would contribute to the beautification of the ward's cemetery, especially as the War Invalids and Martyrs Day on July 27th is approaching. For him, although Vietnam and Laos are two countries with two different languages, the two nations share many similarities in the process of protecting and building their homelands. Mr. Chittayohan added: The Lao people will forever be grateful to the soldiers and people of Vietnam, who did not hesitate to shed their blood and sacrifice their lives to fight for the Lao revolution, helping the Lao people to have a peaceful and prosperous life as they do today.

On the same day, a delegation from the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union held a cultural exchange and presented gifts to the Veterans' Association of Nghi Huong and Nghi Thu wards. They also organized a campfire gathering and shared traditional rice wine. Professional artists from Laos participated in this special cultural program. The Cua Lo Youth Union and the Veterans' Association also prepared many special performances, focusing on the theme of Vietnam-Laos friendship and praising the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. Through this exchange, international friends also had the opportunity to learn more about Cua Lo coastal town, a hospitable, friendly, and warm-hearted tourist town; and it was a chance for the people of Cua Lo to promote their local tourism potential.

Although it was only a short two-day trip, with so many enriching experiences and activities, Nghe An province and Cua Lo coastal town truly left a positive impression. This further strengthened exchanges and mutual understanding between the Youth Unions and young people of Vietnam and Laos; contributed to educating the youth of both countries about the special traditional friendship between Vietnam and Laos; and affirmed the determination, responsibility, and pioneering role of the youth of both countries in preserving, consolidating, and further strengthening the traditional, loyal, and pure relationship between the people of Vietnam and Laos.

Ly - Ha