I still see myself as a brand new reporter who needs to experience and learn a lot.

The conversation was interrupted because she and her crew were rushing to work on a forest fire, but we managed to hear some interesting experiences, especially her experiences working during Tet and Spring... For her, the people she met, the stories she told and heard always inspired her every journey and helped her journalistic works become more vivid and imbued with the breath of life...

Working at the border source

Journalist Luc Huong Thu shared: Lao Cai is a mountainous, border province with vibrant import-export and tourism activities with a community of 25 ethnic groups with unique and rich cultural identities. For journalists in "the place where the Red River flows to Vietnam", there are also many memorable memories... Every year, the atmosphere of Tet in Lao Cai is always bustling as the highland people prepare to go to the forest to pick dong leaves to wrap cakes, slaughter buffaloes and pigs to make traditional dishes; functional agencies give gifts, take care of Tet for the poor... This is also the busiest time of the year for reporters stationed in Lao Cai when they strive to fully and comprehensively reflect the Tet picture of the highland people. In particular, being able to join the border guards to organize an early Tet for the border people is always an unforgettable impression for me.

Journalist Luc Huong Thu interviews border guards at border marker number 100 (2) of Lao Cai international border gate, January 2024.

In recent working trips, I was fortunate to follow the border guards to the program "Spring Border Guard - Warming the hearts of the villagers" in the border communes of Bat Xat, Muong Khuong and Simacai districts. What is easy to see in these trips is that the program has contributed to strengthening solidarity and close ties with the people in the border areas; promptly caring for and encouraging the people of all ethnic groups to continue to join hands to build and firmly protect the territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Being closer to the people and the villagers, I always cherish every opportunity to approach and try to observe carefully the interesting details, both to admire the most beautiful things of the people here and to exploit a lot of valuable information to serve my writing. I remember, in the program "Border Spring - Warming the hearts of the villagers" in 2022 held in Nan San commune, Si Ma Cai district, I especially noticed a young Mong woman with a joyful face. She was swaying and rocking her baby to sleep while attentively watching the art program on stage. When I started talking to her, with her broken Kinh language, Thao Thi My smiled shyly, tried to look back to see her 3-year-old daughter Lu Thi Di sitting in a baby carrier, and said to me: “Let her sit in the baby carrier so she can be warmer and sleep easier. I want her to come here to watch the performance for fun. The happiest thing is that both mother and daughter will receive Tet gifts for poor households.”

In early January 2024, in the program "Spring Border Guard - Warming the hearts of the villagers" held in A Mu Sung commune, Bat Xat district, among the students who came to receive the program's scholarship, there was a rather quiet and quiet child. Everyone said that it was Tran Bao Nam, grade 9, Bat Xat town Middle School, who came with his mother to attend the program. Nam's father was martyr Tran Van Duan, a former officer of A Mu Sung Border Guard Station, who heroically sacrificed while on duty in 2011. Since his father's sacrifice, Nam has been sponsored by A Mu Sung Border Guard Station in the program "Helping me go to school". Nam shared : "The uncles and aunts in the unit often care, visit, and encourage my family. Receiving Tet gifts and scholarships in the program, I will try to practice, study well, follow in my father's footsteps, and become a useful person"...

As for the border guards, if asked about celebrating Tet at the border gates and border posts in Lao Cai, the familiar answer that reporters received was: "We are used to always being ready to receive tasks, we cannot celebrate Tet at home every year". For the officers and soldiers, being on duty and celebrating Tet at the unit is a source of pride because they can contribute a part to the great spring of the country.

Major Nguyen Trong Tuan, from Hai Duong, has worked in Lao Cai for more than 20 years and said: Family is a solid support for him to work with peace of mind and complete his tasks. He told me that choosing this career means he always has the mindset that if he is assigned to stay on duty during Tet, he will strive to complete all tasks assigned by his superiors, taking care of the people at the border to have a happy and safe Tet.

Having just transferred from the South to Lao Cai, Tet Giap Thin is the first Tet that Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Minh Hieu celebrates in his new unit. He confided that, preparing to celebrate Tet in his new unit, everything is still too confusing for him. However, with the help of his superiors and teammates, he feels very secure and ready to complete all assigned tasks well.

Will my article help others?

“Can my article change anything and help others?” - Those are two questions and also the goals in journalism of journalist Luc Huong Thu.

Journalist Huong Thu always wonders: Can my articles change anything and help others?

She confided: Being a female reporter is very hard, especially when working in remote areas, or in harsh environments, with limited time. Fortunately, my family shares and supports me to the fullest extent to focus on completing my tasks well. Even though I have been in the profession for 16 years, I still feel like a "brand new" reporter who needs to experience and learn more. Journalism has given me many beautiful memories, allowed me to travel to many places, meet many people with different circumstances and understand more about life. Those are valuable assets that I think I am lucky to have.

As a resident reporter but also a local, every year I am assigned to be on duty during Tet on New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year. During these days, I not only take care of household chores, shopping for Tet with my family, decorating the house like other families, but also regularly keep in touch and connect with relevant units to grasp the security and order situation, traffic safety... in the area. Every year I am assigned to write a quick report on the New Year's Eve atmosphere. On the afternoon of the 30th of Tet, I proactively arranged all the work early, prepared the year-end meal, the offering tray, then rushed out to do my duty and promptly processed the information, sending the product to the General Office before the scheduled time.

Working during Tet, before Tet, after Tet are all exciting working days, especially when working at the Spring festivals of the ethnic communities in the area. Lao Cai has hundreds of large and small festivals held in January. Each festival is a cultural slice that shows the unique identity of each ethnic group. Being able to live, immerse myself in that flow and express them in journalistic works is the motivation for me to dedicate myself and be passionate about my job...

Cloud River (Recorded)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nha-bao-luc-huong-thunu-phong-vien-xong-xao-mien-bien-vien-post285339.html