A majestic, deep green forest

Each time I say goodbye to me once I feel I still owe the pages written about this place, indebted to the martyrs, who are lying in the middle of the forest in the southwestern region of the country.
first. Like a bit of a strange downfall when the feeling of remembering the forest spinning around suddenly filled my mind when I woke up in Saigon street in the morning. Do not hear the sound of the forest rustling the wind, the cicadas chirping, the chirping of the wild birds … And suddenly craving the smell of the forest from the fallen leaves meeting the rain, from the wild flowers with names and unknown names, craving for the feeling. The wobbly feeling is a little nervous to feel from the dense swarm of insects whenever there is light, craving for the sweet touch of dew drops on the green seedlings in the middle of the silver old tree.

Yes! Only 90 hours, in the forest, a time to count quickly but cannot easily measure the nostalgia for the forests in the North of Tay Ninh bearing a name that sounds far away from the myths of Ruyon, Chang Riec, Lo. Go, Da Ha, Ta Xa, along with Tien Co streams, Cho streams, upstream of Vam Co Dong river, A Lan mountain, Ta Not grassland … Ho Chi Minh City writers delegation under an old coconut tree on the bank of the Vam Co Dong river during a practical trip to compose from April 14 to 17 Winding trails in the middle of the forest, moss in small patches of light in the sun filtered through the forest’s canopy like countless pieces of jade, the two sides of the road are entwined with flowers, the footsteps are a little hesitant at first. exploration, then a gentle and friendly feeling rushed to touch the stump of the old rice lentils, kerosene trees. The trees are silvery white, the trees are musty, the trees are rough, and every tree is soaring as going straight through the blue sky, making the canopy of leaves proudly on the forest space. The most poetic are the relatives of mistletoe, from dense ferns jostling for a noisy competition in the direction of sunlight, fragile and humble vines wrapped around the soft, idyllic root of the host, to the species of orchids that are tall and tall, they gather like a crowded population, for old trees to have friends, to support the loneliness of trees for hundreds of years, a few hundred years … Do not know if the time to enter the forest is the right time when the birds after lunch are full, gathered in the groves, singing together, forming a multi-level forest music concert. Sitting in the middle-ground thatched shack, the forest breeze ruffled through the trees, the forest leaves caught the wind like a thousand million cool fans, a little quiet, wandering to listen to the wild birds, the forest sometimes bustling like a harmony There are many voices, there is a holy voice that is sharp and arrogant, with a husky voice full of power but moderately, with a voice of challenge like scrambling, with a soft, gentle and gentle voice. And sometimes, the cicadas sing together, forming an enchanting forest symphony, hard to forget. 2. It was a bit of a surprise when I came to Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park which spreads in Tan Bien district of Tay Ninh province, 135 km from Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by Vam Co Dong river in the West. Source from Cambodia, the part flowing into Vietnam is about 20 km long, river bed 10-20m wide, is the natural boundary between Vietnam – Cambodia. Take the boat upstream of Vam Co Dong river upstream According to statistics, the area of ​​Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park is 19,156 ha, the special-use forest accounts for 26% of the total natural forest cover of Tay Ninh province. The flora has 696 species and medicinal plants have 158 species, timber trees are 58 species, ornamental plants 21 species, food plants are 10 species, and vegetables are 7 species. Fauna system The number is up to 58 species of reptiles, 28 species of frogs, 88 species of fish, 128 species of insects, there are a number of rare species such as the black-shanked douc langur, Indochinese silver langur, small califers, bird fauna with the number of up to 203 species including many rare and precious water birds such as Giang Sen, Old Lady Java, Swallow Stork, Old Cavalry … When almost the surrounding areas of the forest are white, this place is like a paradise of nature with primeval forests, special-use forests, green to the eyes, green to the depths of green, the colors of rivers and streams, one color. The green forest is so beautiful .. Sitting on the boat along the water border, upstream of the Vam Co Dong river, looking at the banks are green streaks of flooded forest, arousing love like sweet honey with the forest, especially, On the Vietnamese side, there is an old Gaya forest, there are thousands of years old roots that are tangled, like knitting hooks deep in the river bed, the carpet of fallen leaves looks like hundreds of years of overlapping layers … And when I came here, sitting under the shade of Gua, lying on the leaf carpet, listening to stories about the battle to keep the land to keep the forest, feeling the love every inch of the land of the Fatherland was so choked … In the final hot sun In the dry season, walking in the forest canopies, following the trail of border patrol, listening to my heart is green and sweet, to calm my soul and spiritual feelings when I touch the national landmark 132-2, my eyes suddenly spicy … Border road in Chang Riec Lo Go-Xa Mat, where Ta Not grassland, gradually falls in the afternoon, and a trail of sunlight at the end of the day also runs slowly from the grassland to the other side of your country, on a 7-storey tower at an altitude of 33 m, in the vast wind, In the immense cloud of clouds, there are a few fluttering storks and storks to see a large frontier area, your side is the red and empty land, on this side you are the green forest flap, the green to the heart, I am worried about how to keep the green color sustainable … Heard, in the rainy season, wetlands and grasses, grass will make a beautiful green carpet, reflecting on the water surface will be soft shimmering grass branches. around, creating a shadow like a dream. 3. Hear the word “source”, “red address” stars like a sacred hard to describe. Crouched in the jungle, amidst the singing of a group of revolutionary songs accompanying the years, suddenly traveling through space and time back half a century ago, to hear echoes “ If you go out, you will preserve the mountains and rivers. If you leave, it is better to die. “ Not the first time coming here, but it seems that every time I step into the “R” battle zone, there is a strange excitement, like a rushing flow in my body, like a Liberation soldier marching out. Battle of the past … Bac Tay Ninh- “holy land” of the resistance war, in 15 years, from the fire of Dong Khoi 1960 to the day of reunification in 1975, the Central Department of the South has firmly stood in the primeval forest. back to many layers of trees covering Rung Duon and Chang Riec, in Tan Bien district, Tay Ninh province. This place marks the life and work in the years of the long and arduous resistance war of the eminent leaders of the Party, the State, our army and famous patriotic intellectuals who “leave the street. go to the forest “join the resistance war. The Central Base Bureau went down in history with the immortal nickname “R”. From “R”, the leaders of the revolution directed the creation of victory, from “Special War”, “Local War”, “War of Americanization and Vietnamization” to General Offensive and The Spring 1975 rebellion won all over, especially breaking the American Junction City from February 22 to May 14, 1967, hitting “R” directly. Ho Chi Minh City’s delegation visited the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam American generals on the battlefields of South Vietnam called “R” as “The White House and the Vietnamese Communist’s Pentagon in the middle of the jungle”. During the years 1965 – 1967, many international journalists and writers visited the legendary “R” base such as the Soviet Communist Party’s reporter of the Truth Report; Chinese Press – Photography – Television delegation; Australian journalist – Wilfred Graham Burchett; journalist of the French Communist Party’s Humanitarian Newspaper – Madeleine Riffaud; Polish writer-journalist – Monika Warnenska; Korean press delegation; Cuban press delegation … After returning home, they wrote many books and flaming reports on the Vietnam battlefield, contributing to the voice of international peace-loving friends supporting the Vietnamese people. Resistance against American imperialism. The forests here are also associated with the names of many leaders who have entered the history of the war against the US to save the country of the Vietnamese army and people. Suoi Nhung and Linh stream are associated with Secretary of the Party Committee, Secretary of the Central Department Nguyen Van Linh; May stream and Dat mountain associated with General Nguyen Chi Thanh; streams Tien Co, Ruch Don, Chang Riec associated with Central Secretary of the Department Pham Hung; Cho stream, Trang A Lan in association with lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho, architect Huynh Tan Phat … In the afternoon, the forest was pale in the morning, beside the Cho stream in the dry season, in the shade of green leaves to the bottom of the water, the slick moss-covered rocks were known to be the “fairy bathing” wharf of female soldiers in ” R “, suddenly heard in the wind the sound of girls laughing in the forest, suddenly choked when listening to the story of female martyr Huynh Lan Khanh, the third daughter of architect Huynh Tan Phat, sacrificed him. dung here … There was a moment in the midday sun, when we got here, the whole forest suddenly became strangely quiet, not knowing if the spirit of 14,000 martyrs died in the war against the US, the war to protect the southwest border and on international missions in Cambodia, including nearly 700 martyrs who are from Hanoi, located on hill 82 of the “R” war zone hiding this place? Writing us, writers, reminding them not to be forgotten on our pages. 4. The dawn of the forest after the rain was clear to sweet, only the birds singing hello to the sun were shining on the tops of the trees, sometimes a few mischievous hours of raindrops deposited on the leaves on the dry leaves … Suddenly remember also the month Tu, when interviewing a former Liberation Army-writer for an article titled “The Longest Day of War” on April 30, he mentioned the forest: “ Hearing the news that we had flagged a flag on the Independence Palace, I and my brothers and sisters in R quietly went to the forest, each one sitting and crying. Crying for joy, crying because of loving comrades who died. That night, there was a lot of gunshots, but not gunshots of death, but like calling out to swarms of good news to each other … ‘. Tho hill station for a time, across the river is Cambodia’s friend country And in me are many feelings, even though it is not the first time to come to this forest, but each time goodbye, I still feel indebted to the pages written about this place, indebted to the martyrs, those who lie. in the middle of the forest in the southwestern part of the country. Tay Ninh- Ho Chi Minh City (April 2021)