06:02, 06/08/2023
No one knows when the name O Moi was given to the ferry terminal in Long Xuyen City (An Giang Province), but the two words "O Moi" evoke in every person of the Southwest region many memories of a beautiful childhood with the simple trees of their homeland.
Many elders recount that in the past, there were many O Moi trees growing along the riverbank where the ferry was located, so people named it O Moi ferry. Whenever mentioning the place name O Moi ferry, An Giang people always think of the outstanding son of their homeland: President Ton Duc Thang.
Over a century ago, O Moi ferry bore the footprints of student Ton Duc Thang who traveled from his hometown in My Hoa Hung village on Ong Ho island to Long Xuyen to study. Later, this very ferry took him to Saigon to continue his studies, work and embark on the journey to fight for freedom for the nation.
Someone once said that to love the country, one must first love the homeland. Perhaps the simplicity and affection of the land and people of the West, including Ong Ho Islet in his hometown, was the starting point for Uncle Ton's patriotism. That was his parents' stilt house, the rows of o moi trees along the way to school, the boats bobbing on the deserted river, the vọng cổ songs on the busy cargo boats going back and forth...
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| O Moi ferry terminal (My Hoa Hung bank) today. Photo: Internet |
Today, after more than a century, Long Xuyen has transformed from a small urban area of the colonial land of Cochinchina into one of the most dynamically developing cities in the Mekong Delta. Spacious streets are always bustling with people and vehicles, bustling markets, promising new urban areas, high-rise buildings rising like the youth of Long Xuyen rising high… all creating a new look for the city of the 21st century.
Uncle Ton's hometown has also changed a lot, from a quiet village surrounded by rivers and streams, to a new rural commune full of vitality. Passing through the beautiful rural roads in My Hoa Hung today, we can easily see the prosperous life of the people. On the other hand, although it is a commune in Long Xuyen City, this place still has a rustic garden atmosphere, just enough peace for visitors from near and far to feel the beauty of the island through each small slice.
Over time, O Moi ferry has become a witness to the ups and downs of history, the fluctuations of the times and the changes of the homeland. The ferry has taken many children from the island to many places in the country and welcomed many tourists from far away regions to the island to pay tribute to the nation's outstanding revolutionary.
The O Moi ferry terminal on the Long Xuyen bank is still in its old location, but the My Hoa Hung bank has changed its location due to riverbank landslides, only the rustic and affectionate name remains the same. The locals have taken a very meaningful action by bringing some o moi trees back to replant by the ferry terminal, recreating the old image for today's generation to see. After nearly 30 years of replanting, the o moi trees have grown large, spreading their canopies to shade the road down to the ferry terminal.
Looking across the river, Long Xuyen market is bustling with bustling trading scenes, in the distance is Long Xuyen floating market with boats and sampans anchored on a stretch of the river, in the middle of the river is the green and peaceful Pho Ba islet. Stepping onto O Moi wharf, walking about 300m, we will see the statue of President Ton Duc Thang, facing O Moi wharf, facing Ong Ho islet, like the son of Hai Thang who went far away years ago has just returned to set foot on his beloved land.
Hung Chau
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