BHG - Not everyone has the opportunity to visit the border region at the northernmost tip of the Fatherland. For journalists, it is not only a trip, but also a journey to listen to and record vivid stories about the green-uniformed soldiers who steadfastly protect every inch of the sacred border land of the Fatherland.
I am fortunate to be one of the few journalists who have the opportunity to set foot on the Border Guard stations and posts along the border of Ha Giang province. To come, to see, to feel with all my senses and heart the life and work of the Border Guard soldiers in the highlands of Ha Giang. There, each milestone, each patrol road bears the mark of sweat, effort and even blood of many generations of officers and soldiers.
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| The author with officers and soldiers of Xin Cai Border Post (Meo Vac) in 2021. |
I still remember clearly the first time I patrolled the border with the officers and soldiers of Xin Cai Border Post (Meo Vac) on a winter morning. It was bitterly cold, with dense fog and gusts of icy wind. We set off at dawn, following a narrow, rocky, steep, and slippery path. The soldiers' steps were steady and steady, as if they were used to the difficult terrain. As they walked, they carefully observed every tree and bush, where there was a potential risk of sovereignty infringement. I tried to follow them, although I was very tired, but my heart was filled with admiration, not only for their extraordinary endurance, but also for the love they had for the borderland.
One of my most memorable experiences was a working trip with officers and soldiers of Minh Tan Border Control Station, Thanh Thuy International Border Gate Border Guard Station. That day, I followed the patrol team to patrol the border section of Ma Hoang Phin village. As soon as we left the station, we immediately encountered a steep slope in front of us; the higher we climbed, the steeper the slope became. The patrol route on a rainy day was even more difficult and challenging. The trail through the forest was covered with bushes and tangled vines, and many sections were almost completely hidden. As they walked, they cleared grass and trees to clear the way, their feet sinking deep into the slippery mud, each step having to grope through the dense jungle. As the afternoon wore on, the rain became heavier, their shirts soaked, and leeches bit them, but no one backed down. At each milestone, everyone stopped, put on their uniforms, and solemnly saluted the border milestone. The ritual seemed simple, but contained sacredness, pride, and a sense of responsibility for national territorial sovereignty.
When stopping to rest on the hillside, comrade Nguyen Hong Viet, Head of Minh Tan Border Control Station, took out a map and explained to me the location and history of each landmark, the direction of the border, and each place name, then smiled and said: "If you go with us to do a border report, the article will be interesting and full of emotions". That was not only a word of encouragement, but also a motivation for me to write lines that breathe reality, hardship and pride on the front line.
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| Ha Giang Newspaper staff discussed propaganda work with officers and staff of the Provincial Political Department and Border Guard. |
Ha Giang province has 12 border posts along the more than 277 km long border. Each post is a solid "fortress", not only protecting territorial sovereignty but also being a support for ethnic minorities living in remote areas. For journalists, each post is a vivid story, a valuable source of information. Every time I leave the border, my luggage is not only images and documents, but also unforgettable memories and emotions.
The deep impression on me is not only the image of brave soldiers in the middle of the jungle, but also the sincerity, openness, and willingness to support journalists. In the midst of living conditions with many shortages, the officers and soldiers always welcomed reporters with warm hearts, treating us like family. Those thoughtful gestures were not only coordination in propaganda work, but also became comradely love, the solidarity of fellow countrymen. Not only guiding the way and ensuring safety in work, they also shared simple but touching stories of everyday life, from meals of vegetables and pickles, to the joy of helping people build new houses, protecting children in the highlands from the cold.
Not only protecting each border line and landmark, Ha Giang Border Guard officers and soldiers are also closely attached to the lives of the people in the border areas. They "work together" with the people: "Eat together, live together, work together, speak the ethnic language together" to propagate the Party's policies, the State's laws and policies, support production development, improve people's knowledge, and maintain security and order in the area. They are teachers who teach children in the highlands, doctors who give first aid to people when they are sick, and cadres who help people eliminate poverty and fight against superstition and backwardness.
The days of eating, living and traveling with the border guards helped me understand more deeply the true meaning of journalism. Writing about the border is not simply reporting or recording events, but a journey of feeling with all my heart, a maturity in perception, a settling of emotions. Every article I write about the border contains gratitude and pride for the soldiers in green uniforms and pride in being able to contribute my small part in spreading the beautiful image of the Ha Giang Border Guard.
The border to me is no longer a distant concept on the map. It is a place with ordinary yet extraordinary people, stories imbued with love, and sovereignty markers standing tall in the middle of the forest. It is a place I have been to, recorded with all my journalistic heart, and will forever carry with me in my professional luggage.
Thanh Thuy
Source: https://baohagiang.vn/van-hoa/202506/moi-cot-moc-la-mot-trang-viet-khong-quen-39c3b5a/
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