Remembering Journalist and Artist of the Mining Region Hong Hanh

Journalist, Mining Artist Pham Hong Hanh, the first person to appear on Quang Ninh Television with a soulful, captivating and impressive voice, has passed away nearly 3 years ago. Every time we celebrate Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day or the Journalism Festival, I often remember her with unforgettable memories of this once close colleague.

Artists from the Mining region on air. Photo: Document — Mining artist Pham Hong Hanh *(right)* during a radio news reading session. Photo: Document

Hong Hanh and I got to know each other through meetings at the Quang Ninh Radio and Television Festival from 2003 to 2008. Hong Hanh is 2 years younger than me but never called me "sister", always addressed me as "myself - my friend" like close friends of the same age. At that time, I was a reporter and editor at the District Radio Station, Hanh was a radio announcer at the Provincial Radio Station. Right after the first meeting, when I came to submit my entry to the Quang Ninh Radio and Television Festival in 2003, hearing my voice in the narration of the Radio Drama, Hanh asked intimately: - Is that the "bu may" voice?

I replied: "Yes! Is it bad?". Hanh said: "Okay, when I teach you some martial arts, your voice must not only be beautiful and good, but also emotional, with soul and fire in it to attract listeners."

So I “learned” a few professional tricks and a “special” reading voice from Hanh. She seemed to like and sympathize with me, perhaps because of the similarity in personality and appearance. Every time there was a meeting, training session or annual festival, Hanh always asked: “Have you seen Minh Duc come in?”. When we met, we talked endlessly. One time, the provincial radio station opened a training class on “Radio Professional Training”, when dividing into groups for practice, Hanh pulled me into the same group. I was assigned to read the introduction for the work “Live Radio”, Hanh read the key text, after listening to it, Hanh said sternly: “Hey!” I felt guilty. Hanh pressed on: “Are you trying to steal the announcer’s food?”. I laughed: “At the district station, I was both a reporter and an editor, sometimes I had to read for the announcer when he was on sick leave, I wouldn’t dare steal anyone’s food, my friend!”. The two of us hugged each other and laughed happily, becoming closer from then on.

The training class had a field trip to Cam Pha Station, which coincided with the fair. Hanh invited me to go to the market, stopped at a fried banana cake stall, she bought two, gave me one and said: "Eat them, they are delicious when eaten hot". I hesitated: "Aren't you afraid of getting fat by eating like this?". "What are you afraid of, I'm already fat anyway, and I have diabetes, so just eat it!" Then Hanh ate another sausage with gusto. Thinking back now, I feel so sorry for Hanh, people with diabetes are very hungry, Hanh lives so innocently and openly.

More than ten years have passed since I retired. It is known that Hong Hanh is an Artist of the Mining Region, also a member of the Cinema - Television Association (Quang Ninh Literature and Arts Association), but I have never met Hanh at any events organized by the Literature and Arts Association. The only time was the 2009 Literature and Arts Association Congress, held at the Provincial Convention Center. After attending the opening ceremony, Hanh immediately ran back to the office: "I have to go back to the station to do today's radio program." With more than 30 years in the profession, Hong Hanh is the main voice of the provincial station. Hanh performs excellently in every genre and attracts listeners, from the introduction to the news, articles, reports, good people and good deeds, short stories, memoirs, especially radio dramas which are always Hanh's forte and strength. There are "Radio Stories" where Hanh takes on two or three roles at once and still performs excellently, depicting each character in the story. Once, you told me about your son named Dat and your wish for him to be successful and pursue a career in journalism. I heard a radio story that you and your mother acted together…

I learned of Hong Hanh's passing and the funeral on August 16, 2020 through the announcement of the Provincial Literature and Arts Association on Zalo. 3 years have passed, remembering the announcement that day makes my heart ache. I miss you so much, Hong Hanh! I miss you and will always remember the "special golden voice", a legend of a time of Quang Ninh Radio.

Source