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Tet 2003 Theme:
"Viet Nam Niem Nho"
"A Walk Through Vietnam"
From Ai Nam Quan to Mui Ca Mau
January 25 - 26, 2002 at Seattle Center
(Click herefor a Vietnamese description of the theme.)
Some of us have left Vietnam for more than 27 years, some have been away recently. Whether we have been away for years or just recently, who among us can forget the images of home that we carry within our hearts. That attachment and longing probably will stay with us forever. Time may fly in modern life, but it has to slow down some time for us to collect ourselves and let our spirit wander back to that distant homeland, so far and yet so near to our hearts and minds.
We cannot write enough about the longing and attachment to the places that we grew up. The times when we were toddlers waiting for our mothers to return from the market; the times when we were kids happily carrying our books to school; the times when we were teen-agers playing with friends; our beloved teachers, our favorite eating and hang-out places. Not to mention the New Year's days and other festivities. Out in the country, how can we recount fully the memories of tending to water buffalos, of playing with crickets, of the fun and adventures at harvest time, of the familiar view of thatch huts clouded in smoke at the end of day, of studying by the flickering light of kerosene lamps. Well, let us stop here so that our minds can journey back to those places in olden times, so far and yet so near, in a tour of the country from South to North. Let us share our memories with each other along the journey. If you have not been to Vietnam, we invite you to come along. Let's start on our way.
From the southern tip of Ca Mau, before going to Ha Tien to visit this land of hope as recounted in the song Ha Tien, let's stop by Can Tho and visit Rach Gia. Leaving the western provinces of the Mekong delta, going down the An Giang river and crossing the Mekong river, we will stop by Sa Dec, My Tho to see groups of cranes stretching their wings in flight under the Beautiful Southern Sunlight as described by composer Lam Phuong. Getting on the bus, let's be ready to "Stop By Saigon" to see for ourselves what the late composer Van Phung described, and to observe the pretty sights of Saigon, the beloved capital of South Vietnam, like the late composer Y Van described in the songSaigon. At nightfall, Saigon is bustling under countless points of light just like Y Van described in the song "City Night". Before leaving Saigon, we cannot help feeling moved when hearing some folks opera melodies echoing here and there, or some sweet lullabies played by unique traditional instruments. Could it be Miss Phuong Lien singing her sweet arias in "The Farewell Song" or Chi Tam in an expert rendering of a traditional-modern medley. Traditional folk music is indeed an art to treasure, especially through the moving performance of Phuong Lien and Chi Tam. Moreover, Tran Quang Hai and Bach Yen will bring us some folks melodies from all three regions of Vietnam, complete with soothing lyrics and traditional instrumental music in our Tet In Seattle Festival at the Seattle Center.
Miles to the east, we suddenly hear the lapping sound of ocean waves. Here is Vung Tau! People are rushing about on the Front Beach, or quietly keeping each other company out on the Back Beach. Let us sit down by the coconut drink stall over there and take in all the fresh sea breeze we can before leaving for the cool highland of Dalat. Up there, the scenery will probably remind of our present Northwest home. Hear the sound of rustling pine somewhere by Cam Ly Falls or by Than Tho Lake in the shadow of the evening dusk. How enchanting, just like the song Dusk in Dalat by Minh Ky and Da Cam: "Listen to the evening falling on the dreamy city..."
Descending towards the east, we will certainly lose ourselves in coconut groves or come up against the cool stream of "Suoi Tien". Phan Rang! The place that is as well known for fish sauce and shrimp sauce as Phan Thiet. Just mentioning these two traditional and unique condiments triggers plenty of culinary memories. Phan Thiet also has seen the footsteps of the late photographer Cao Linh, who gave us wonderful pictures of Mui Ne, of Doi Duong. A little to the north, we can see ships and boats crowding Cam Ranh Bay, one of the more well known harbors in the world.
We are not that far from Nha Trang now. Halfway there, we must stop by Tan Binh market to listen again to the vendors plying their ware , to drink a glass of sugarcane juice or to buy some boiled peanuts. Not done with eating yet, we will stop by Dam market in Nha Trang. Once there, besides Hon Chong, Cau Bong and the Champa towers, we must visit the beaches of Nha Trang, wherefrom this seaside city earned its poetic monicker of "White Sand Country". Strolling on these beaches, even if we are tone deaf, we should try to sing the melody Nha Trang by composer Minh Ky, or the song "The Day I Return To Nha Trang" by the famed composer Pham Duy.
Leaving Nha Trang to go up to the highland, we will see the people of Buon Me Thuot whose feet are red with the color of the ground on which they walk, or the young women with rosy complexion in Pleiku. Down near the sea, we will hear, if not see, the young women of Binh Dinh performing martial arts exercises. A little further out are Quang Ngai, and Da Nang, another well-known harbor. Up on Hai Van pass, we may hold our breath a little out of nervousness, but remember to open our eyes to see the majestic landscape where the Truong Son mountain range meets the Pacific Ocean. After the pass, do we hear anything different? The sweet-sounding Hue voice lingers on the Perfume River, where we can see Trang Tien Bridge and Thien Mu pagoda, where there often are intermittent drizzles to remind us of the unforgettable song Rain in the City of Hue by Duy Khanh.
Leaving Quang Tri, Quang Binh, we come to Ben Hai River, the line that once divided the country. Let us turn back the clock another quarter century. By 1954, many Vietnamese people had already fled their homeland once. What did they bring with them? Probably not much in their hands or on their backs, but in their hearts and minds they probably carried with them the images that we often heard about in ballads such as "Looking Towards Hanoi" by composer Hoang Duong, "The Feelings of the One Who Left" by composer Anh Bang, "The Way Home to the North" by the late composer Doan Chuan Tu Linh, etc. Hanoi with its 36 quarters must be very different in the old days. What about the "West Lake and the Sword Lake" of today? How is the "One Pillar Pagoda" now? Does the Red River still quietly flow to the South China Sea to meet with the Perfume River and the Mekong River like in the song "Open Sea Festival" by Pham Dinh Chuong? Ha Long Bay is probably still as magnificent as ever. Deep in the Lang Son forests and up the hills in Cao Bang, By The Border Bridge is there still A To Chau Beauty quietly Looking At Herself In the Roaring Stream as recounted by composer Pham Duy? And most importantly, we should inquire about the Nam Quan Gate and Bac Gioc falls and ask ourselves why we have lost these once familiar landmarks.
A Walk Through Vietnam, it is a collection of memories about a beloved land, a beautiful country ...
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