Keep memories after every journey...

The dry leaves become unique souvenirs - echoing the sound of autumn from the land of kimchi. Photo: Ngoc Duoc

Sometimes, we forget we ever had it. One day, we glance over and suddenly stop for a long time before the souvenirs that have been in the drawer since that day. Some were given to us by friends, some were bought for ourselves, but more or less, each one is filled with memories.

Echoing the sound of autumn

Some people will hesitate for a moment when suddenly recalling many memories. Some people will suddenly remember a friend they haven’t seen for a long time. Some people will long for a land that is about to fall into oblivion…
Souvenirs, sometimes, are a call, even though it is soundless. It calls back to mind the memories of long journeys, connecting the past and present. It reminds us to look back at what has passed...

I was once stunned when I saw my companion sitting down on the roadside, meticulously picking each fallen yellow leaf under the ginkgo tree in the ancient village of Jeonju Hanok (Korea).

Then you carefully bring those leaves to an art gallery down the street, choose a frame, paper, present your idea and ask them to arrange them as you wish…

Finally, with the help of a local artist, you have transformed the leaves along the roadside into a unique work of art that bears your personal stamp. They remind you of a lazy autumn afternoon in a strange city.

“Souvenirs bought in commercial stores are very convenient and cheap. However, they will be similar to many other industrially produced gifts, sometimes even imported from an unrelated country, so the local cultural value is not much. I like to preserve the autumn colors in this way. Every time I look back at the work that I contributed to creating, even though it is simple and imperfect, it will still remind me of an afternoon of intoxication among the earth and sky…” - you shared.

hasty handwriting

During my days traveling alone in foreign lands, I often spend a leisurely afternoon choosing and buying postcards.

Then I choose to sit on a street corner, watching people passing by. People still pass by, no one knows me. I will sit there and think about the past few days, think about the people I just met. Also the new experiences I just had, or even think about the journey of stepping out of my comfort zone and familiar route every day.

I often ask myself who I miss and what I want to say to them at that moment, before writing on a postcard. Completely spontaneous, let my heart lead the way. One time, I was wandering in Seattle (USA) and I felt so much missing someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. I quickly wrote the words: “Wish you were here” on a postcard and walked to the post office to send it. My heart was filled with excitement and anxiety, like a young boy sending a love letter for the first time.

The postcard arrived in another country shortly thereafter, along with a postmark stating the location, date, month, year and postcode of where I sent it.

“This is the simplest yet most emotional souvenir I have ever received…”- you sent me a very long message after receiving the postcard.

You said that holding the postcard in your hand, you thought of its long journey from halfway around the world and the moment I remembered you during the trip. That was the most precious thing.
After that, each of us went our separate ways, and the times we talked and met became less frequent. But when we accidentally met again, we often talked about that special postcard with many nostalgic emotions.

Identity and personal mark

The two stories I just told, seemingly unrelated, meet in a common aspect: a gift becomes more memorable when the recipient is involved in contributing or becoming a part (tangible or intangible) of the gift.

This is also the formula for success of souvenir brands that are popular in the world travel community: seen with your own eyes, made by hand, and packaged to take home.
From experiencing lantern making firsthand in Hoi An, to DIY workshops in traditional craft villages, or hand-grinding thanaka bark to make legendary cosmetics in Myanmar…, it all starts from this idea.

It is no coincidence that in the dictionary of young people, especially generation Z, keywords such as "personality" and "uniqueness" are mentioned more often than in previous generations.

In a time when everything is developing in a diverse and "multi-colored" way, the opportunity for tourists to participate and express themselves in each souvenir will receive more attention.

This puts a lot of pressure and expectation on tourism professionals to continue to create new ways of doing things. Each souvenir will become a friend to keep memories after each journey. Further, become an "ambassador" to invite friends from all over to experience and explore...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/giu-ky-uc-sau-moi-chang-duong-3132979.html