The milestone associated with the 220th anniversary of the provincial capital (1804-2024), the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Thanh Hoa City (1994-2024) and the 10th anniversary of the first-class urban area (2014-2024) seems like an invisible link in time connecting memories and emotions of generations. Each person faces the street with their own consciousness, senses and fate. But in general, there is still a passionate love, gratitude and hope for a stronger breakthrough of the city in the future...
1. On a winter morning, I and NSNA Tran Dam leisurely chatted over a drip coffee filter. I opened the conversation: “The streets these days are bustling with the atmosphere of celebration, aren’t they? Looking back at the milestones of time - 220 years of being a provincial capital, 30 years of establishing Thanh Hoa City, 10 years of being a class I urban area, I can see a long and persistent journey of construction and development with countless efforts, attempts, both ups and downs and sublimations”.
After a long silence, Mr. Dam kept looking at the street in front of him. Talking about the street - life, Mr. Dam continued his story: “I started to “register” as a citizen of Thanh Hoa town (later city) in 1972. At that time, the city was heavily affected by the war against American imperialism, protecting Ham Rong bridge, most of the people had to evacuate. Life was very hard, with many difficulties, but everyone believed that the future would be better, believed that one day the town would return to a peaceful life.”
The image of Thanh Hoa town in the old days is like a slow-motion film, vivid and sharp through each story of NSNA Tran Dam. He told a story about the past, the whole town had several public water taps; people in need stood in line waiting to collect water to bring home for use. Every morning around the taps, there were dozens of people waiting their turn. Then he talked about the roads, many roads that when it rained were sure to be muddy, with muddy soil sticking to the ankles, or the fact that the town had to spend many years of propaganda and fierce mobilization to complete the goal of 100% of households using two-compartment toilets. Seeing me smile, he immediately "corrected" me: "Even very small things like that show our efforts and determination in building a cultural and civilized urban lifestyle, improving the quality of life for people, not trivial matters".
As a photographer, journalist, poet..., I consider Mr. Dam as a witness of the city. He conveys his feelings, observations, and feelings about the changes of Thanh Hoa City through his works. "Fortunately, his life still leaves behind works and books as imprints; although his health is increasingly declining, he can still continue his writing work, wandering around the streets" - Mr. Dam confided. I recall his photo book "Where the Cranes Take Off" released to readers in 2020.
The photo book is a publication to celebrate the 21st Thanh Hoa City Party Congress, term 2020-2025, which contains the deep feelings and unique, delicate perspective of NSNA Tran Dam with the 220-year-old provincial capital. He shared: “To complete the book as it is today, in addition to professional activities, I had many working sessions and discussions with 6 Secretaries of the Thanh Hoa City Party Committee through the periods. There were opinions here and there, but the comrades all agreed on the point of view, how to bring out the beauty that is both modern and steeped in the unique historical and cultural sediments of Thanh Hoa City, something that not every city has”. With such meticulousness, meticulousness, and carefulness, “Where the Cranes Take Off” is considered a “photo exhibition on paper”. The diversity in reality, the vividness and sophistication in color and composition of the photos attract readers from the first frames. NSNA Tran Dam has "borrowed the language of images" to introduce famous landscapes, relics, and outstanding achievements in socio-economic and cultural development so that everyone can contemplate, feel and love more about a city that is on the rise.
At this age, the most satisfying thing for Mr. Dam is to live happily, healthily, usefully, and to still witness the movement and development of the city every day. Mr. Dam slowly said: “The appearance of the city is increasingly spacious and modern with a series of transportation projects, technical infrastructure, and social infrastructure being deployed and built. People's income and living standards are increasingly improved. In the past, people lined up to carry water for use, but now clean water comes to every house, and water shortages rarely occur. Roads from boulevards to streets and wards are clean, beautiful, smooth, and connected. The "green lungs" of the city are renovated; culture and society are cared for; good cultural traditions are revived; many historical and cultural relics are restored, embellished, and effectively exploited. Urban culture and civilization are formed through many generations of citizens".
Mr. Dam is interested in and follows information on the city's socio-economic development situation, advantages, difficulties, goals, tasks and solutions for the city to continue to accelerate in the coming time. In 2024, the city's total production value is estimated at 81,220 billion VND, ranking 2nd in the province (after Nghi Son town); accounting for 18.4% of the province's production value. The growth rate of production value is estimated at 10.25%, up 2 places compared to 2023, ranking 4th in the province. Average income per capita is estimated at 91.17 million VND, an increase of 5.5 million compared to 2023. Total state budget revenue is estimated at 4,158.8 billion VND, reaching 141% of the provincial estimate and 118% of the city's assigned estimate. The investment and business environment has been improved; Many large projects have been implemented to create momentum for socio-economic development. Mobilized development investment capital is estimated at VND 27,973 billion, up 6.7% over the same period, accounting for 20.08% of the province's investment capital. Notably, in 2024, the city started 4 key projects according to Resolution No. 38/2024/NQ-HDND of the Provincial People's Council; implemented 10 projects to celebrate 220 years of provincial urban area, 30 years of city establishment, 10 years of class I urban area; 60 years of Ham Rong victory with a total cost of VND 77,925 billion...
These results are the foundation for the Party Committee, the Government and the People of Thanh Hoa City to continue to make efforts, strive, promote internal strength, exploit external strength to the maximum, create new growth momentum for sustainable development. And of course, along with the recognition of the city's breakthrough, Mr. Dam still has his own concerns and worries: "The historical and cultural layers are diverse and unique, but we have not yet exploited and promoted them effectively to serve tourism growth, especially the Ham Rong Historical - Cultural Relic Site. That is the challenge for all of us on the journey to reach out. Because history - culture is an endogenous source of strength, not exploiting it effectively means we are wasting internal strength".
2. Like Mr. Dam, I am not a “child” of the city. In the hustle and bustle of people going back and forth every day, I moved from the village to the city to nurture my future dreams. Despite the hardships, difficulties, and challenges, sometimes I cannot avoid feeling resentful and even stumbling and falling, but I always feel lucky and happy to be part of the journey of building and developing my hometown city.
I still remember, I started to be attached to the city from around 2014, the time when I was about to graduate from university, moving back to my hometown to find a job opportunity. This was also the year Thanh Hoa City happily received the Decision to recognize it as a type I urban area. Before that time, my knowledge about Thanh Hoa City was very limited. Because, before, when Nguyet Vien Bridge had not been built, from my hometown to Thanh Hoa City, I had to go up Hoang Long Bridge and then follow National Highway 1A, a distance twice as long as now. My father worked far away in the border area, my mother did not know how to ride a motorbike, it seemed like our lives had no connection with the city. But then, I was lucky to be attached to Thanh Hoa City for nearly ten years.
Today, the city is bustling with excitement as it prepares for the 220th anniversary of the provincial capital (1804-2024), the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Thanh Hoa City (1994-2024) and the 10th anniversary of the first-class urban area (2014-2024). Until today and forever, I will always silently thank my hometown city for its tolerance and welcome, giving me the opportunity to assert myself. Not daring to think that I would be able to do anything great in response to the city's noble gesture, each day that passes, I promise myself to make a lot of effort, to try a lot, to contribute a lot so that the city can understand our sincerity and intention, to contribute a small part to the construction and development of the city and my hometown.
Thao Linh
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tu-su-cung-pho-233978.htm
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