'Vam Co Dong' - Symbol connecting Tay Ninh and Long An

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day and in the context of Long An and Tay Ninh provinces merging into the new Tay Ninh province, along with the consolidation of two press agencies, forming a single media institution called “Tay Ninh Newspaper and Radio and Television Station”, this is the moment to look back, select and inherit the unique cultural and media values of the two lands of talented people. Among them, the theme song “Vam Co Dong” - once the sound mark of Long An Radio Station - is a typical heritage that deserves to be preserved as a common symbol for the radio theme song of the new province.

Because, “ Vam Co Dong ” is not only a beloved melody of Long An, but first of all, it is an echo from the origin of Tay Ninh - where that river was formed, where the first inspiration for this sacred song was kindled.

It is no coincidence that musician Truong Quang Luc - although he had never been to Tay Ninh, wrote a song that is both simple and poignant, yet imbued with heroic spirit. It was the poem by Hoai Vu, a soldier who fought in Tay Ninh in 1966, that created the first lines of "Vam Co Dong". From the Tay Ninh forest roof, the moonlight of Ma Thien Lanh forest, the sound of water quietly flowing through the Central Bureau base area, the words resounded:

“I stand by the Dong Nai River/ Listening to the echoes of my homeland’s songs…”

And from there - from the heroic land of Tay Ninh, the song "Vam Co Dong" was sung, spreading through every afternoon smoke, following the radio waves and becoming the sound of memory - a symbol not only of a region but of an entire journey of resistance and nation building in the South.

The river originates from Thanh Long commune (Chau Thanh district, Tay Ninh province), quietly winding through the old base area, then embracing the entire lower Long An region, before merging into the ocean. Therefore, Vam Co Dong does not divide the two provinces, but connects the two lands by the flow of culture, history and humanity. For Tay Ninh, it is a place associated with the war zone - the rear base of the Southern revolution. For Long An, it is the source of hard work, steadfastness, both production and fighting on ferries, fields, canals and streams.

Therefore, the melody of “Vam Co Dong” does not carry a local color, but blends two streams of consciousness: Tay Ninh as the origin - Long An as the successor, to become an inseparable cultural symbol. When Long An Radio Station chose that song as its theme song after 1975, it was a tribute to a cultural value - not only of Long An but also of the entire Southern region that endured, fought and rose up.

Now, as the two provinces enter a new chapter in their development journey, retaining the theme song “Vam Co Dong” is a subtle and profound declaration of cultural and historical inheritance as well as an affirmation of a new communication spirit: Connecting flesh and blood with the People, connecting the lands and closely associated with the cause of building a new prosperous, civilized and integrated Tay Ninh province.

It is a song that has no geographical boundaries, because every river eventually flows to the ocean, like the desire for harmony and development of people sharing the same land.

Millions of radio listeners, along with a large number of people from both banks of the Vam Co Dong, respectfully send to the Editorial Board of the New Tay Ninh Newspaper and Radio and Television Station a heartfelt wish: Please consider keeping the theme song "Vam Co Dong" as an official identification mark - not only a symbol of memory and history, but also a sacred call of solidarity and convergence.

Preserving that melody is not only a continuation of the Long An spirit, but also a tribute to the origin of Tay Ninh - where the river begins and where the first verses of that song were sung in the middle of the old resistance forest. It is a song that does not divide borders, but connects souls; does not stop at nostalgia, but carries aspirations for the future.

From the source of Vam Co Dong, a new media identity will take off - rich in emotion, deep in culture and carrying the mission of connecting the people on the journey to build a new prosperous - civilized - integrated Tay Ninh.

Because it is the melody of a time and will be the melody of the future./.

Nhat Quang

Source: https://baolongan.vn/vam-co-dong-bieu-tuong-gan-ket-tay-ninh-va-long-an-a197356.html