Tien Quanh -peaceful village by Lam river
When talking about their hometown, Tien Quanh people (Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district) can enthusiastically talk about two great prides: the picturesque riverbank and the movement activities that are always as joyful as festivals.
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When talking about their hometown, Tien Quanh people (Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district) can enthusiastically talk about two great prides: the picturesque riverbank and the movement activities that are always as joyful as festivals.
Peaceful alluvial land
When passing through the communeDong Van, the Lam River flows curvedly, covering 2/3 of the area of this locality, depositing a fine sand area, sloping. The most beautiful and widest sand beach in this area is located in Tien Quanh hamlet. For the people of Tien Quanh, that river beach is an indispensable part of life and culture for generations.
From the dike, go down, follow the dirt road near Tien Quanh rest stop, weave through bamboo bushes and corn fields for about 100m to reach the alluvial sandbank area along the Lam River. At this time, instead of clumps of grass on rough loam, there is a layer of fine sand that holds people's feet. Exposed to the sun all day long, the temperature of the scorching sand is in complete contrast to the clear water of the Lam River right next to it and the lush green bushes on the other bank. A few small fishing boats leisurely cast their nets on the river, making the simple beauty of the alluvial sandbank even more peaceful and poetic.
“This riverbank is associated with every resident of Tien Quanh. There, children play, fly kites, swim, adults gather, play sports, fish. At the beginning of the bank, there are two sacred rocks, called Ong and Mu rocks. Many villagers who come from far away still come here to burn incense as a way to report…” - Mr. Hoang Truyen (born in 1986) said as he led me to visit the riverbank. If I had not been introduced like that, I would probably think that this was an area that not many people knew about because not a single piece of trash appeared on the sandbank or the river. That shows how much the people of Tien Quanh love and cherish this alluvial area.
That spirit was once again affirmed when I listened to the sharing from other residents of Tien Quanh, in a “green tea forum” at a resident’s house. Mr. Hoang Van Thoi (born in 1949) shared: “Since birth, we have seen the villagers consider the alluvial plain as a particularly important cultural space in life, a place to organize many community activities of the village. In our subconscious, we are always grateful to the Lam River for bringing shrimp, fish and alluvium to raise us. No one in Tien Quanh grows up without the Lam River and the alluvial plain. That is the childhood, the homeland, the memories, the roots… of the Tien Quanh people!”. What Mr. Thoi said is proven by the photos and clips that the villagers have taken and saved. There are volleyball tournaments, campfires, inaugurations of socialized works, self-governing group festivals, celebrations on the occasion of April 30 - May 1…
“The riverbank area of Tien Quanh village is more special than other areas because the river has a narrow shape here, the two banks are close together but the sandbank is wide, the sand is fine, clean, and has a beautiful color. That is why the problem of “sand bandits” has been rampant in recent years, making people very worried. There are times when the sand is sucked so much that the banks collapse, changing the flow, creating deep holes at the bottom… Feeling sorry for the river and the sandbank, people have to assign people to watch the sand-sucking barges, and when they see the barges coming, the whole village comes out to chase them away” - an elder of the village shared.
The movement is as fun as a festival.
In Tien Quanh, the community lives together like a big family, united and loving each other. For that reason, the movement and homeland building activities are supported by the people in a spirit of self-awareness and voluntariness.
The day we returned to Tien Quanh, the villagers were organizing a small sports tournament with their nearby “neighbors”. Witnessing the villagers, from old to young, of all professions and ages, gathering at the cultural house to participate in the tournament in hot weather, we could see how unanimous and enthusiastic the people here were. Even though it was just two friendly matches, winning or losing was not important, the organization was extremely professional: There was a logistics department providing enough water and fruit for the whole village to watch and quench their thirst; there were veteran commentators tucked into their shirts and boxes with professional microphones and speakers; there were sponsors providing proper competition uniforms; there was a media department updating, writing articles, designing banners and livestreaming on Facebook continuously... Right on time, people poured in from all directions, bicycles and motorbikes lined up along the walls surrounding the cultural house. The joy and excitement on the faces of the participants made the atmosphere in the cultural house as joyful as if there was a big festival.
Among those who came to watch and cheer for the tournament, many were not spectators of any team. “We are not from Tien Quanh, but we come to cheer for every tournament in Tien Quanh. Here, people are united, organize large-scale movements, contribute selflessly and are especially hospitable,” commented Ms. Nguyen Thi Xuan Anh, a resident of Thanh Chuong town.
Warmth and hospitality seem to be a “specialty” of the Tien Quanh people. The people will happily ask about their guests when they accidentally meet a “strange face” on the street, enthusiastically treat them to the best food if they have time to stay, and even take the trouble to “design” a really grand activity to welcome them…
Sharing about the factors that contributed to the success of spontaneous activities and movements from the people, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hieu - Secretary of the Tien Quanh hamlet Party Cell said: "Our hamlet has dynamic and prestigious factors, even though they may not hold positions in the government or any organization, they are willing to initiate, accept tasks and be responsible for their work and for the people. From those factors, people together created many practical projects such as rest stops near the stadium, flag lines, stone benches, hamlet cameras, etc. At the same time, in the spirit ofvoluntary, people can contribute budget or labor according to their ability. Cultural and sports movements, support for families in difficult circumstances also received enthusiastic and timely support from people.
One of the “reputable factors” mentioned by Mr. Hieu - the initiator of many activities and movements in the hamlet, is Mr. Hoang Truyen. Sharing the secret of “winning the hearts of the people”, Mr. Hoang Truyen said: “I think that the first thing that makes quality movements is because the people of Tien Quanh inherently value the community factor and have the spirit of building their homeland. From there, individuals like us only need to prove the practicality of the activities, financial transparency, and responsibility in implementation, then we will gain the trust of the people. When we have the trust of the people, everything is easy to do, everything is successful. Those who have the means will support a lot, those who do not have the means will contribute, those who live nearby will come and participate, those who live far away will send money to support, every contribution is valuable. Every project and activity of the hamlet bears the mark of all the people”.
Coming to Tien Quanh on a hot summer day and saying goodbye when the sun was fading behind the bamboo hedges on the dike, we hope to be able to return to this place as soon as possible. We also hope that the government and the people here will maintain the peace and integrity of the riverbank, maintain the enthusiasm and solidarity in the way of life, so that Tien Quanh will always be a peaceful and happy village by the Lam River.