Uncle Ba Phi tells stories about the jungle that has now become a dreamland.

Preserving the heritage of Uncle Ba Phi's stories
One time meeting Uncle Ba Phi
When Uncle Ba Phi met the Prince of Bac Lieu

Illustration: To Minh Tan

Afternoon under the canopy of U Minh forest

That afternoon, the wind blew through the U Minh cajuput forest , making the scent of dry leaves waft up. Uncle Ba Phi sat by the pond bank, swinging a hammock tied between two cajuput trees. In his hand was a half-burned cigarette. His eyes were still as bright as when he was young, “even snakes avoided him when he went into the forest”, just quieter than before.

“Look around now,” he said, his voice becoming low. “Back then, this forest was always poor, people lived on fish, vegetable stalks, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Going to the market, we had to row boats all day. But now, look, the road cuts through the forest, bridges cross the canal, and motorbikes can quickly reach the purchasing place. The students no longer have to wade through mud to go to school, but instead have buses to take them there. Back then, my child didn’t even have sandals when he was in first grade, but now my grandson uses a tablet that the kids call something like a tablet!”

From the old forest to the young province

“I often tell lies to make people laugh, but in my heart I still want people to live less miserable lives. Back then, I laughed to forget my hunger. Now... I laugh to live a healthy life!”

Then he lit another cigarette, gently stroked his gray beard, and said: “I heard that Ca Mau merged with Bac Lieu to form a new province. Someone asked me if I was worried. I said: What are you worried about? In the past, boats and canoes used to row past each other to borrow a bowl of salt, but now our people are not from the same province, which is strange. The merger is to become stronger and more united, no one loses anything.”

“We in the forest are good at enduring, but we also have to learn to move forward together. I lived through the time when snakes crawled into the kitchen, mosquitoes bit like rain, now it’s time to live through the time when shrimp are raised cleanly, the forest can be preserved and there is still money. Without innovation, no one will remember our forest!”

“Now talk about shrimp!”.

Uncle Ba Phi chuckled when someone mentioned that shrimp was the “national treasure” of this land. “In the past, shrimp was a gift from heaven. We set traps and caught fish, and ate as much as we had. Now shrimp is... money! And if you want to have money all the time, you have to raise it properly.”

“Don’t chase after output, raise shrimp and forget to conserve water and destroy forests. Ca Mau’s forest land won’t accept it! Today, the kids are learning about technology, knowing how to use phones to control oxygen in shrimp ponds, knowing how to measure pH with an app. I hear it and want to learn too!”

He pondered, his eyes looking far away towards the pond shimmering in the evening: “The young ones are good now, but they also need support. We must have a shrimp industry cluster, gather together, support each other, and link together properly. The big guys lead the way, the State acts as a bridge, and our farmers contribute. Ca Mau shrimp is not only delicious, but also kind, clean, and responsible. To do that, we must love this profession as much as we love our own homeland!”

Sitting in the forest, talking about the sky

Uncle Ba Phi looked up at the sky and saw a plane flying overhead. “Back then, when I told the story of riding a stork to Saigon, everyone laughed. Now the plane is really flying to Ca Mau, but who still remembers me?”

His voice was a little joking, a little sincere. “I tell stories so that people don’t forget who they are. Even if they go to the city, work for a company, or go to university, they still have to remember their hometown. Remember to love, remember to return, remember to help.”

Uncle Ba Phi - The cultural soul of the land at the end of the world

Someone asked him: "Sir, Ca Mau is now a new province, should we rebrand?"

He just smiled: “The biggest brand is the people. And the people of this land are as salty as the water, honest and straightforward as the mangrove and cajuput trees. When building a brand, don’t forget your personality. I don’t have much education, but I know that a humorous smile, deep affection, and neighborly love are the “identity”.

Then Uncle Ba slowly continued: "I have a lot of words, so if anyone talks about brands, I don't know much. I'll just say this: Brand is a name that people love. People love the people of Dat Mui, love the U Minh forest, love the eroding coast, love the culture of the Southern forest area."

In conclusion: The end of the sky, the beginning of a great dream

Uncle Ba Phi, the storyteller of the past, is now a living witness to the transformation of Ca Mau.

From wilderness - to high-tech shrimp farming.

From remote countryside - to green tourism destination, digital connection.

From the story told in the thatched roof - it became a dream spread across the country and the world with the idea of experiential tourism "Legendary U Minh Night".

“I am old, each day I live is precious. But every morning when I wake up and see my children and grandchildren living healthy, happy, and kind to the forest and the land, I know this land is on the right path,” Uncle Ba Phi sobbed.

New Ca Mau, not just a combined administrative map.

That is the land of memories that is preserved, the land of love, the land of dreams that are coming true day by day.

If we had to choose someone to tell this story, no one would be better than Uncle Ba Phi, the storyteller of the forest, of the people, of a land that never retreats, never gives up, and always smiles and moves forward.

Le Minh Hoan

Source: https://baocamau.vn/bac-ba-phi-ke-chuyen-miet-rung-gio-da-thanh-miet-uoc-mo-a40036.html