We recently accompanied the Nhan Ai Social Work Group from Da Nang to celebrate the National Day holiday with the Pa Co people in Hong Van Commune, A Luoi District, Thua Thien Hue Province.

Cultural exchange with the Pa Co people in the mountainous district of A Luoi

We traveled nearly 200 kilometers to visit the people in the early autumn chill of the mountainous region. The locals here mainly rely on reclaiming land and establishing villages, so life remains challenging. Over 90% of the population is Pa Co ethnic, all bearing the surname Ho, which originates from the name of the great President Ho Chi Minh.

Upon arriving at the People's Committee of Hong Van Commune, we were warmly welcomed by Mr. Ho Xuan Vinh, the Secretary of the Party Committee of the commune, with a firm handshake, a kind smile, and a slow-speaking tone in Kinh language, amidst the applause of the locals. He was dressed in a worn-out shirt and dark khaki trousers, dusty from the red earth roads. The simplicity of this leader left our entire group pleasantly surprised.

When asked about the lives of the locals, he paused for a moment before responding, “The people here have a hard life; they always strive to change, but things remain the same. Part of the difficulty is their determination to stay rooted in their homeland, despite the hardships. They mostly cultivate rice and sweet potatoes on land cleared near streams. Farming is their main livelihood, yet agricultural equipment is not widely used here, partly due to the rugged terrain and unpredictable weather. You see, people still carry rice on their backs, unlike in the lowlands where they use tractors or carts.”

I looked in the direction Mr. Vinh pointed to, and realized that the difficulties faced by the locals stem from countless objective reasons that weigh heavily on the minds of the local officials.

The Nhan Ai Social Work Group presented gifts to the locals.

Ho Van Tha, a sixth grader at Hong Van Junior and Senior High School, shared with us when we struck up a conversation: “I've borrowed some books from the boy next door, but I'm still missing an English textbook. My mother told me to borrow it from a friend and copy it down to save money, but it’s tough because I haven't learned that yet.” He then smiled, glanced at my notebook, and offered to correct his name for me, saying I had written it incorrectly. The innocence and purity of childhood were evident. The world of children is indeed full of innocence and heartfelt gestures. Along with the gifts shared by our team, I gave him the pen I was writing with, as a token of thanks in exchange for his smile.

Engaging with the Pa Co people through cultural performances bridging "the uplands and the lowlands" during this Independence Day celebration felt like we were exchanging our joy for the optimism and smiles of the people here. And as we returned home, our journey was filled with lessons about faith and love for life.

The sun cast its last rays of the day high in the sky, expanding the horizon so that the laughter of the people here could echo endlessly into the distance.

Never have I heard the song "Noi vong tay lon" by the late musician Trinh Cong Son sung so beautifully-not because of any accompaniment, arrangement, or chorus, but because the Pa Co people, the Ho family, sang it with all their hearts.

Reporting by Q. TOAN, B. LAM - Translating by TRUC VY