“Da Lat - The Inner City in Turmoil”: Memories of a Time of Fire and Flowers

During the days when Da Lat City joyfully celebrated the 50th anniversary of Liberation Day (April 3, 1975 - April 3, 2025), members of the Youth - Student Working Team, inner-city pupils of that day sat together, telling stories of a fiery time participating in the inner-city political struggle movement through the memoir - story "Da Lat - Inner City in Turmoil".

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoang (middle) and the Revolutionary Tradition Liaison Committee of the Youth - Student Working Team of the Da Lat City Party Committee review the manuscript of the memoir - story "Da Lat - The Stormy Inner City"

The memoir - story collection "Da Lat - The Stormy Inner City" includes articles about the political struggle movement of youth - students, pupils of Da Lat during the resistance war period (1960 - 1975). The book records historical documents of most of the people involved who fought in the fiery period, published by the Revolutionary Tradition Liaison Committee of the Youth - Student, Pupil Working Team of Da Lat City Party Committee under the consensus of the Standing Committee of Da Lat City Party Committee on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Da Lat Liberation Day (April 3, 1975 - April 3, 2025); towards the 50th anniversary of the complete Liberation of the South, reunification of the country (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).

In the small house of Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoang - Secretary of the Youth Union of students in the inner city of Da Lat in the 1960s, who was also the leader of the youth, student and pupil movement in Da Lat at that time, the faces of former students of Da Lat University are now at the age of "thất thập cổ lai hy", but they are all happily welcoming their "brainchild" about to be "born", the memoir - story "Da Lat - The stormy inner city". Mr. Nguyen Trong Hoang, one of the two editors, shared: “With the desire to preserve memories of the political struggle movement of students, pupils and people of Da Lat City from 1960 to April 1975, the Revolutionary Tradition Liaison Committee of the Youth - Student and Pupil Working Team under the Da Lat City Party Committee has collected memoirs and stories to publish the book “Da Lat - The Stormy Inner City” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Da Lat Liberation Day. Through that, we hope to contribute to the work of educating the revolutionary tradition and national pride for the young generation”.

As a female student at Da Lat University, Ms. Tran Thi Hue - former delegate of Lam Dong Provincial People's Council, term V, former Vice President of Lam Dong Provincial Tourism Association, at that time participated in secret activities in the Youth - Student, Pupil Working Team in the inner city, including the activity of distributing leaflets to create momentum for the people, causing confusion for the ruling apparatus and calling on the republican soldiers to demobilize and return to the People. In the article "Forever proud of a time of youth", Ms. Hue wrote: Implementing the direction of the Da Lat City Party Committee, the Secretary of the Youth, Student, Pupil Union in the inner city developed a plan to organize and deploy the "Combat Contract" between the wings on many streets in Da Lat City, I was assigned to distribute leaflets on Ham Nghi Street (now Nguyen Van Troi Street). The organization and implementation of the leaflet distribution contract with members of the inner-city team that day was very successful, causing a great echo in the city, strongly affecting the spirit of Saigon soldiers, causing confusion, hesitation and fleeing, contributing to the liberation of Da Lat city without fighting, Da Lat was liberated almost intact. I am very happy and proud to have contributed a small part to the great achievements of the country and Da Lat city. Recalling the memories of a heroic youth - the time of fighting against the US to save the country is like a little sharing, a connection of the heroic fire of the past to today's youth. You are living in the 4.0 era with many opportunities to develop your talents "Let's spread your dreams, fly high, fly far, be ready to contribute to building a developed country and building an increasingly strong Youth Union movement".

The memoir - story collection "Da Lat - Inner City in Turmoil" was "conceived" by the Revolutionary Tradition Liaison Committee of the Youth - Student and Pupil Working Team under the Da Lat City Party Committee over the past 3 years. From coming up with ideas, contacting each member of the Team to order articles, then meeting to agree on content, editing... Up to now, the book is ready to be released as a gift to the city after 50 years of liberation. In addition to documents about the political struggle movement of youth, students and pupils in the inner city of Da Lat from 1960 to April 1975, more than 50 stories are memoirs and memories of the people who fought through a time of fire and flame, participated in political struggles, lived right in the heart of the enemy, faced the enemy without wavering. Throughout the book, each author is like a "painter" holding a brush to paint a picture imbued with humanity and comradeship during a heroic resistance period. It is also the joy of telling stories of those involved, but there are also feelings and concerns about the sacrifices of comrades, heroic and poignant poems and songs... In particular, the authors all use images of their youth in each of their articles to remember the unforgettable years.

The articles in the book are arranged chronologically and will be valuable documents to help the younger generation better understand the revolutionary struggle tradition of the people and youth of Da Lat. Pride in the tradition of their ancestors will be the luggage for today's youth to continue on the path of building a strong and prosperous homeland and country of Vietnam.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/a-lat-noi-thanh-day-song-ky-uc-mot-thoi-hoa-lua-cfe7fb0/