Young people tell village stories through photos

Old memories through the eyes of young people

In late spring, when the cotton trees are in full bloom in many villages in Hai Duong, social media is flooded with check-in photos. Among them, the most prominent is the cotton tree in Dong Ngo (Nam Dong commune, Hai Duong city), which attracts hundreds of young people to take photos every blooming season.

Every year, Ms. Bui Hong Ly (Hai Duong City) comes here to take pictures. She shared: "The kapok tree is still blooming beautifully this year. I wore an ao dai and stood under the tree. My friend took pictures and told stories about how villagers used to meet here in the past. Now we also make a meeting place, but to... take pictures."

Ms. Ly revealed that thanks to taking photos under the tree and through conversations with the elderly, she understood why the kapok tree is often planted at the entrance of the village as a symbol of protection and community unity.

Choosing Dong Cao Pagoda (Hai Duong City) as the place to record her 25th birthday, Ms. Vu Khanh Hoa in Ung Hoe Commune (Ninh Giang) hopes that through her photos, she will contribute to spreading more traditional values.

“I wore an ao dai, brought a few books, and some simple accessories to create a highlight and blend in with the space. When I posted on social media, my friends in many places also learned about a beautiful pagoda in Hai Duong,” Ms. Hoa shared.

As the place where the Huong exams of the old Hai Duong town took place, many students when visiting Mao Dien Temple of Literature (Cam Giang) take the opportunity to record the moments each time they visit as a way to express their wishes for good academic performance.

Nguyen Thanh Thanh in Tan Binh ward (Hai Duong city) confided: "At first, I only thought this place was ancient and beautiful. But when I learned that this was a place to worship famous people like Confucius, my feelings when taking pictures were completely different."

Recently, reading newspapers by Bach Dang Lake (Hai Duong City), a space imbued with the old atmosphere in the heart of the city, has become a place chosen by many young people and families.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai Yen (in Binh Han ward) said: “My daughter really likes places like that. After taking pictures, she asked me how people used to read newspapers. I am happy because my daughter is curious about the past and history.”

Each photo becomes a cultural bridge

Through taking photos and sharing on social networks, many cultural sites in Hai Duong, which were previously little known, have now become attractive destinations for young people. Not only to preserve personal moments, checking in also helps spread images of relics and culture, contributing to promoting traditional values ​​in a natural and close way.

A photo with a beautiful angle and a thoughtful caption can spark curiosity and inspire hundreds of others to seek out the experience. Young people are becoming “cultural ambassadors” with their love of photography and desire to connect with the past.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thao, tour guide at Con Son Pagoda (Chi Linh City), a relic site associated with the famous person Nguyen Trai, said: "In recent years, young people have come to the pagoda to take more photos, especially the pine row in front of the pagoda. I told them that the path is called the main path, symbolizing wisdom and understanding. Young people are very interested in the above content and like to take photos in this place."

Not only at historical sites, Hai Duong Provincial Museum has also become a check-in point that many young people are interested in. The director of Hai Duong Provincial Museum said: "We often arrange the exhibition space in a traditional way, creating many shooting angles so that young people can have beautiful photos and learn more about artifacts and historical stories."

Each beautiful photo is accompanied by a small story that has become a new way to tell cultural beauty. Through that, young people are not simply "living virtually" but are truly feeling history through their own lens.

They are not constrained, nor forced. They come with curiosity, stay for emotion, and leave with more than just a photo, a connection.

These photos are not only memories of youth, but also a bridge between the present and the past. An ao dai in the communal house yard, a flared skirt by an ancient well or simply a gentle gaze in the March sunshine when the cotton flowers fall, all contribute to telling cultural stories in a close, soft and vibrant way.

Sometimes, just a light enough touch is enough for culture to take root in the hearts of young people.