Dong Nai in the flow of history, culture, and integration

Published late last year, the book ‘In the Flow of Dong Nai’ by writer Khoi Vu -Nguyen Thai Hai is more than a mere compilation of life records. It offers a vivid cross-section of the formation, development, and transformation of the Dong Nai region over the past half-century.

The flow of life: Memory, reality, and reflection

Apart from the introduction, ‘In the Flow of Dong Nai’ is structured into three chapters comprising a total of 57 essays that span a wide range of social life. In Chapter One, "In the High and Low Tides" (26 pieces), writer Nguyen Thai Hai leads readers back to familiar yet ever-relevant stories of Dong Nai, tracing the province’s journey of transformation over the past five decades.

In the Flow of Dong Nai by writer Nguyen Thai Hai, published by Dong Nai Publishing House in 2025. Photo: My Ny

These are memories and contemporary realities of industrial parks - the  very symbols of Dong Nai’s vigorous industrialization, along with stories of the Tri An Hydropower Plant and its role in household electricity supply and power generation capacity. The chapter also features writings on rubber trees, Bien Hoa pottery, the Buong River, palm leaves, train journeys, and Long Thanh International Airport. These are the familiar "landmarks" that have shaped the socio-economic and cultural landscape of Dong Nai today.

Beyond the economic panorama, Chapter One unfolds deeply human stories: the medical profession, journalism, public administrative reform such as the issuance of citizen identification cards, the operations of public administration service centers, as well as memories of San Mau Stream, stone-paved roads, and the lush greenery of Long Khanh. All are recounted in a plain yet evocative voice, rich with the lived experience of someone who has spent many years living, working, and forging lasting ties with this land.

Notably, in "In the High and Low Tides", writer Nguyen Thai Hai devotes considerable space to recounting stories of heroes on the land of Dong Nai. These include the mass grave of Commander Nguyen Duc Ung and 27 resistance fighters located along National Highway 51 in Suoi Ca Hamlet, Long Phuoc Commune; the collective grave of Doan Van Cu and 16 insurgents in Suoi Linh, near the Bien Hoa Highway in the Tam Hiep area; and the burial site of nine leaders of the Lam Trung camp, including the martially skilled farmers from Vinh Cuu, who rose up against French colonial forces in the hilly area of Go Moi near Rach Dong.

Through these pages, the tradition of humanity and righteousness, embodied in the moral principle of “When drinking water, remember its source” is vividly portrayed, carried forward through acts of gratitude toward forebears and through folk beliefs that help bind the community together.

 Dong Nai’s multicolored cultural landscape

If Chapter One traces the flow of socio-economic life, then Chapter Two: Polyphonic and Multicolored (27 essays), expands Dong Nai’s cultural space within the rhythm of contemporary life. Here, the author addresses books and efforts to promote reading; literature, music, photography, and artistic creativity rooted in everyday life; while also reflecting the new dynamics of modern society such as the widespread use of smartphones, cashless payments, digital technology applications, and the emergence and role of Generation Z.

Many of Nguyen Thai Hai’s pages take readers to familiar tourist destinations: Suoi Mo Stream, Giang Dien Waterfall, Da Han Waterfall, Cat Tien National Park, Hoa Binh Waterfall, Ba Giot Waterfall, Mai Waterfall, Bau Nuoc Soi (Hot Spring), Chua Chan Mountain, and Tran Bien Temple of Literature; as well as ancient pagodas such as Buu Phong, Long Thien, Dai Giac, and Hoang An; or the Catholic parishes of Bien Hoa, Ben Go, Tan Trieu, Hoa Binh,… . Together, they weave a rich cultural and spiritual panorama of a land with more than 325 years of history.

Amid the currents of modernity, Dong Nai continues to preserve and promote traditional values through folk festivals and community-based beliefs such as the Ong Pagoda Festival and the Sayangva Festival of the Chơro ethnic group. Alongside these are the emergence of new cultural spaces and a diverse culinary scene featuring fried sticky rice, spring rolls, and street food vendors. Through each story, readers clearly perceive a Dong Nai that is not only one of the nation’s major industrial centers, but also a land rich in identity, where tradition and modernity intersect in harmonious balance.

A new Dong Nai: Integration and development

Chapter Three of the book, “The Country is the Homeland,” is devoted to analyzing the developments beginning on July 1, 2025, when Dong Nai, together with the rest of the country, entered the largest administrative reorganization in the past 50 years. Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc were merged into a single administrative unit under the name of the new province as Dong Nai, opening up a vast new space for development across the Southeast region.

From a historical perspective, writer Nguyen Thai Hai places this merger within the southward expansion of the nation from the era of the Nguyen Lords through the Nguyen Dynasty, when Emperor Gia Long unified the country and this region was historically known as Nong Nai-Dong Nai. Therefore, the merger is not merely an administrative decision, but also a return to its historical and cultural roots.

Part of the book is devoted to analyzing Dong Nai’s flexible approach to administrative restructuring. The merger of communes and wards was not carried out mechanically along old administrative boundaries, but rather based on practical considerations such as geography, transportation, and socio-economic conditions. Numerous merger models are cited in detail, demonstrating an open-minded approach aimed at long-term stability and better serving the lives of the people.

Sharing his motivation for writing the book, writer Nguyen Thai Hai said: “I am among those who grew up, studied, matured, and worked in Dong Nai for 20 years before 1975 and for a full half-century after national reunification. Having spent nearly my entire life by the beloved Dong Nai River, I have long been a long-standing native of this southeastern land. I still wish to continue telling stories along the Dong Nai River.”

With ‘In the Flow of Dong Nai’, the author not only records personal memories but also helps preserve the stories of a land undergoing profound transformation. The book serves as a steady current, linking past, present, and future, so that each reader may gain deeper understanding, stronger affection, and a greater sense of responsibility toward Dong Nai today and in the years to come.

                                                                       By My Ny - Translated by Thu Cuc, Thu Ha