On the afternoon of July 25, I went to Lai Da village (Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi), the hometown of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The July sun on the concrete suburban road was scorching. And, the pilgrims were given water by the villagers.
Tables were placed in front of the door, bottled water, and lemonade were offered free of charge. The village brought out many fans, blowing cool air from the house to cool down the heat on the street. In my life, I have never attended such a touching funeral. I was touched by the way the villagers of Lai Da responded to the feelings of a distant guest on behalf of a son of the village who had just passed away.
Lai Da is located on the bank of the Duong River, more than 10 km from Hoan Kiem Lake, not a rich village compared to many other suburban villages. But when walking through the village this afternoon, when witnessing the way Lai Da people welcome guests in such a sincere and warm manner, I believe this is a happy village. Happiness is exactly as defined by the excellent son of the village - General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - who once said: "Human happiness is not only in having a lot of money, a lot of property, delicious food, beautiful clothes but also in the richness of the soul, living in the midst of love and compassion, justice and fairness".
PHAM TRUNG TUYEN