My country has vibrant colors by the ocean
North, South, and Central all connected
My country, from the thatched roofs of Bắc Giang

Crossing mountains and forest to the Trường Sơn range
Into the sweet fields of the South

FEMALE VOICE:

The nation was founded at Phong Châu in the North; Vietnamese ancestors leave us a remarkable land from the Nam Quan border to the Cà Mau peninsula. Leaning upon the Trường Sơn mountain range, many generations thrived by the Eastern Sea (Đông Hải), from highland forests to the wide open plateaus of the South.

From remote borders and battlefields to changing the lands, our ancestors gave their blood and bones to defend each unit of land or river, leaving us today's magnificent land. Our country is incredibly beautiful.

(song)    

My country has a beautiful river
Water running through rice fields
Both seasons having fragrant rice
Villagers sing at night during harvest season

MALE VOICE:

Vietnam was under the direct rule of successive dynasties from China. Our Vietnamese ancestors struck their bronze drums to echo into the mountains and forest, many times fighting Chinese invaders without fear, leaving thousands of years of heroic legacy. Despite having strengths and weaknesses at times, heroes are ever present.

In the first century, the sisters Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị recruited soldiers to drive out chinese invaders, restoring independence for the nation.

In the 10th century, General Ngô Quyền fought a successful battle against the Han by setting spikes in the riverbed before the tide came down.

In the 13th century, famous General Trần Hưng Đạo defeated three Mongolian attempts of invasion during the Yuan Dynasty.

    During peace, we must try hard
    The nation is eternal

General Trần Quang Khải sang these two lines of poetry in celebration after driving the Mongolian army out of Thăn Long Fort.

In the 15th century, hero Lê Lợi waged a guerilla war against the Ming Dynasty for over a decade, from the forest of Lam Sơn, finally to regain long term independence for the Đại Việt civilization.

In the 18th century, great hero Quang Trung Nguyễn Huệ led the Đại Việt people in the battle at Đống Đa during New Year against the Qing Dynasty of China. Five days later, the Qing had taken 300,000 casualties.

(song)    My country struggled to defeat colonization
              A brotherhood sings a victory song
              Originating from the Lac Long people
              The spirit of Trung Vuong among women
              The spirit of Quang Trung among men

FEMALE VOICE:

Political refugees escaping Communism, exiled and apart from their fatherland Vietnam for many years, still love and look towards their country. Vietnam is mired by abject poverty and political repression. Why is Vietnam listed among the poorest countries in the world, even though Vietnam is the largest producer of rice in Southeast Asia and third biggest rice exporter worldwide?

Why is Vietnam so rich in natural resources and human power, with intelligent and persistent people yet Vietnam cannot be prosperous though the war is over? Why has Vietnam become a supplier nation for sex slaves and laborers? Youth are the foundation for the future of a nation.

What will be Vietnam's future if the majority of youth are uneducated and almost 50 percent of children below age five are malnourished?

(song)    My nation is impoverished
              Lack of clothing in the winter,
              Lack of food in the summer.

MALE VOICE: In the modern 21st century, the fields of technology and science and the information age are very advanced. Globalization is happening. Asia is progressing quickly with many prominent economic dragons.

However, Vietnam is going backwards. Vietnam is not free from poverty. There is no democracy, and human rights are suppressed. There is no more Saigon, the Pearl of the Orient before 1975, having had a more prosperous economy than many other Asian countries despite war.

A communist regime is destroying the nation and people of Vietnam under dictatorship and cruelty. The economy is bankrupt. Intellectuals are oppressed. Religion is suppressed. Youth are uneducated, morals have withered, and the people suffer.

(song)    

The children of Vietnam are still here
The spirit of Vietnam is still here

FEMALE VOICE:

The people's awareness and pride drive the Vietnamese of all ages to fight for freedom. In the third century, Triệu Trinh Nương was only 20 years old when she went into the forest, mobilized people, trained soldiers to rebel against the Wu kingdom in China. She said, "I want to ride the wind, walk on the fierce waves, slash the sharks in the Eastern Sea, cleanse the land, and save my people."

In the 13th century, young Trần Quốc Toản could not participate in conferences for military planning. He angrily went home and recruited soldiers to fight the Chinese who directly ruled Vietnam for more than a thousand years total.

Only 25 years old, college student Nguyễn Thái Học was leader of the Vietnamese Nationalist Party, a prominent revolutionary organization to resist French colonization that lasted almost one hundred years.

Before age 20, Huỳnh Phú Sổ founded the Hòa Hảo Buddhist Church. At twenty-six, he was party leader of the Vietnam Social Democratic Party, initiating a movement to liberate the people and renovate the nation.

In the mid-19th century, Việt Nam was colonized by France. Phan Bội Châu spent his entire life fighting for national independence and the renovation of Vietnam. He wrote in a poem,

   To live for fame and not for country
   To live for wealth and not for society
   A life like that should not be lived
   A shameful life is a waste of space

Our ancestors lived with great hardship and strong will, always struggling against violence and tyranny. Our people lived with patience, endurance, forgiveness, humanity, openness, and strived for progress. Those are the national traits making up the traditional strength of the Vietnamese people.

Remembering the labor, energy, and spirit of Vietnam's ancestors, receiving the priceless legacy of the ancients, the Vietnamese people are working toward Freedom and Democracy.

(song)   

Everywhere on Earth
are footprints of Vietnamese people

MALE VOICE:

Vietnamese people are standing up and fighting for freedom. Vietnam is in urgent need of political pluralism, a free democratic society, market economy, human rights, and social justice. In the near future, surely Vietnam will make progress with the world and thrive.

The nation is at risk, calling people from the same heroic roots. Let's ask ourselves what we need to do for Vietnam today!

(song)      

Vietnam on the road to the future
Sacred fire illuminating the world
Vietnam is a voice to build love for humanity
Vietnam is a radiant country
Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam  forever.

-- (Việt Nam Việt Nam, Phạm Duy)

Translated by

Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen

This SlideShow "My Country" was made by the Vietnam Television and The Organizing Committee for the Eighth Interstate Friendship Camp in 1990. This is the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada Friendship Camp, at Camp Wilkerson, the facilities provided by Boys Scouts of America