Associate Professor, Meritorious Student Pham Thi Tam - articles not only for a period of time

But… you probably know.History of Vietnamese feudal regime, vol. 1, Education Publishing House, 1962 (write one chapter);Some comments on private land in Vietnam during the Ly - Tran period, MagazineHistorical Research, No. 52/1963; especiallyThe resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol invasion in the 13th century- the book became one of the classic works of Vietnamese History; the book that President Ho Chi Minh read and sent his regards to the two authors Ha Van Tan and Pham Thi Tam; famous scholars Hoang Xuan Han and Hoai Thanh praised and considered it "a historical masterpiece"... first published when the authors were not yet 30 years old!

Associate Professor, Meritorious Teacher Pham Thi Tam/Photo: Thanh Long

And… those years 1962, 1963, 1965… I was still a high school boy.

The year I entered university (1970) I first read this book - the 1968 edition of the School library - covered with pencil marks left by previous students...

Over the past few decades, as a lecturer at the Department of Ancient and Medieval Vietnamese History, then Cultural Studies, I have had many opportunities to return to her writings. Not only because I was assigned to teach about the History of fighting against foreign invaders and traditional Vietnamese military art, about Vietnamese History and Culture... but also because I was associated with her writings in unforgettable moments.

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In 1978, after 2 weeks of leading and "spreading" 4th and 3rd year major students (at that time, students of majors, including the major of Vietnamese Ancient and Medieval History, went on graduation internships for months, and 3rd year students were also divided according to their seniors - to get used to the major... for up to 1 month) to a stretch of villages - communes from Co Loa, Duc Tu, Nam Hong, Thuy Lam... in Dong Anh - Hanoi, early in the morning of May 3, I took the opportunity to return to the Faculty, hoping to look up and read more documents about the areas along the Ca Lo River, Cau River... to prepare for the upcoming trip to lead students there.

Cycling to the main road of Doc village (Duc Tu)…

Strange, the streets were deserted, deserted, without a soul. Only the commune loudspeaker was broadcasting the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam about the treacherous actions of the expansionist Beijing force with the Pol Pot Group on the southwestern border… and the situation on the northern border. The announcer’s voice was so sharp and concise… People trembled as if they were being inspired when listening to the reading of the Essay.The way we goby Nguyen Trung Thanh (Nguyen Ngoc) or the Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 1972...

Hunched over on a 10-year-old Vinh Cuu - although not "old", but because of the "advisory tire" it is always heavy and clunky, occasionally having to get off to put the chain back on because it is loose... Hands are greasy, stomach is growling because I woke up in the morning and didn't have time to eat anything.

I longed for a restaurant somewhere along the road. I still had 1 dong in my pocket! I longed for a truck from Dong Anh to the city center to hitchhike… I kept looking. But… the daily restaurants along the road were still quiet, and there was no sign of any vehicles…

A… Today is the day of currency exchange - when we passed through Dong Anh town, it was like that. But what is currency exchange? It's still the same old dong for a unified dong. I only have 1 dong, I'm sure I won't be able to find a place to eat, so what's to worry about? Well, try your best, as long as we get to Duong bridge, we'll be back in Hanoi.

Arrived in Hanoi around noon.

The bag still had a coin, but the stomach was still crawling with ants, rumbling with hunger.

I didn’t go back to the Faculty right away. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have anything to eat. I turned into Ms. Tam’s house in the Lang housing area. Back then, the Lang housing area was the headquarters of the teachers of the University of General Sciences. After Mr. Phan Huu Dat moved to Hang Chuoi, her house was moved from a room of more than ten square meters to here - in the same row as Mr. Dinh Xuan Lam’s house. It was convenient for the Department, most of the meetings, gatherings, and “festivals” of the Department of Ancient and Medieval History of Vietnam took place at her house.

When she saw me driving my bike in, she left her desk and made me some tea.

Then without asking anything, my aunt went down to the kitchen.

Haven't had a drink yet, partly because of hunger, partly because of curiosity to see the documents, the papers.5 cent paper 2(Back then, we used lined paper, and after decades, it still cost 500-200 cents per paper - so we used to call this type of paper by its selling price) on the table and some booksBrief History of Vietnam,Complete Annals of Dai Viet, Imperially Approved Complete Annals of Vietnam,… is open.

Oh, my aunt is writing an article about the activities of the Ly dynasty with the northern border.

From the kitchen, my aunt came up with a bowl of hot noodles.

“Eat up, Ke. You haven't eaten anything since morning.!

How do you know??”

For me, it was one of the best bowls of noodles I have ever had.

*

At the end of October that year, the situation at the northern border became more tense and complicated. The school's youth and students were organized into the Hanoi University Regiment, and together with the youth of the capital, they mobilized their forces to build the Cau River defense line in Yen Dung (Bac Giang).

On the way cycling to the front line, with a bunch of loudspeakers, radios, newspapers... to do propaganda work, I went to her house, just to report, ask her permission and ask if she had any message for Huy - her son, who was then a first-year student in the Physics Department of the University, who was on the front line...

This time, while drinking water, I talked to her about building the defense line.

The story of the Cau River defense line of the youth of the Capital that year, very naturally, intertwined with the story of the Nhu Nguyet River defense line, the Dong Xac, Yen Phong, Gam market, Dong Xuyen... on Yen Phong, Hiep Hoa (Ha Bac - now Bac Ninh, Bac Giang) of the Nam Quoc Son Ha period, which she surveyed and wrote about.Military genius Ly Thuong Kiet…

Then it was time to say goodbye to her and go.

She went into the house and brought out a carefully wrapped package.

“What is it Miss??”

“Ke took it up for Huy and the History Department brothers up there.!”

Not just one towel, but… 10!

*

a fewyears passed.

In 1999, the Hanoi Historical Association organizedScientific Conference Celebrating the 990th Anniversary of the Ly DynastyNguyen Ngoc Hai and I looked for her article 20 years ago to refer to the border pacification policy of the Ly Dynasty.

In July 2008, not only me, but also my students and young colleagues: Nguyen Tien Dung, Nguyen Ngoc Phuc, Nguyen Bao Trang worked hard to findThe resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol invasion in the 13th century; about the Van Don Victory to contribute with the Faculty of History and Quang Ninh province to organize the International Scientific ConferenceVan Don Commercial Port History, Potential and Cultural Exchanges.

And, late summer, mid-fall 2011…

The East Sea has low pressure and continuous storms. Inland, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh (September), Bac Ninh (October) organized surveys and scientific seminars related to the Tran Dynasty, the Conference of Princes and Aristocrats in Binh Than - Tran Xa in 1282; the Van Kiep - Luc Dau battlefield in the resistance war against the Mongols - Nguyen; and the scientific argument of 750 years of the Thien Truong - Nam Dinh palace (1262-2012).

On my desk, next to the chronicles, my Aunt's writings from her "youth" (from her words written in a collage: one from 1959, one from 1994 given to Khoa when he retired) opened again, with opinions and annotations about Van Don, Tay Ket, the resistance against the Mongols - Nguyen... And, historical experience, invaluable instructions of our ancestors about a time "King and subject are of one mind, brothers are in harmony, the whole country contributes its efforts"with the heroic spirit of Dong A... blending into my writings: As a citizen, I will never sell out my country!; The Van Kiep - Binh Than Front in the 12th century - radiates the qualities and abilities of Vietnamese patriotism.