The song "Purple Flowers of the Past" was composed by musician Huu Xuan from a poem by poet Cao Vu Huy Mien.

Journalist and poet Cao Vu Huy Mien's real name is Dinh Doan Hung. He was born on December 31, 1955 in Xuyen Tra commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province.

Poet Do Trung Quan said: “Cao Vu Huy Mien belonged to the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Volunteers (TNXP) generation after 1975. After graduating from the Pedagogical University, from this force he appeared in the team of poets and writers of the TNXP such as Nguyen Nhat Anh, Nguyen Dong Thuc, Tran Ngoc Chau, Nam Thien... After the 1978 Southwestern border campaign, young people knew him through poems and songs written about the activities of the TNXP force, through the once-famous TNXP art troupe, of which his wife - singer Anh Hong was also a comrade. Songs with his contributions have become traditions such as "The Moon Hangs Above the Head" (composed by Le Duc Du) still resound every year on the Force's anniversary: ​​"The bright full moon spins/Following you on the ammunition route/The moon is now your friend Hanging shimmering above your head... The moon follows you across the bridge/The water flows and the moon stops/But you keep going/Because the bullets are still on your shoulder".

Cao Vu Huy Mien and a number of TNXP writers and poets took turns publishing the Tuyen Dau newspaper, which was very popular with the city's youth for a long time from 1978 to 1995. After that, he was discharged from the army and worked at the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper for more than 20 years.

Cao Vu Huy Mien's published works include: "Time of Memories", "Purple Flowers of the Past"... In particular, the songs set to music from his poems are loved by many people, such as: "Purple Flowers of the Past" (musician Huu Xuan), "Sometimes" (musician La Van Cuong), and "Sai Gon in Me" (musician The Hien). The song "Sai Gon in Me" won 3rd prize in the songwriting contest with the theme "Singing about the City of Love" organized by SGGP Newspaper.

About the poem “Purple Flowers of the Past”, I learned that this is a poem associated with the memory of a house with a trellis of dark purple bougainvillea and an old orchid tree that always gave off fragrance… during his high school days in Da Nang by poet Cao Vu Huy Mien. That time, returning to the old place, suddenly taking shelter from the rain in the old bougainvillea trellis, emotions rushed back to him, that very night the six-word poem was born: “The road you came back at noon/Purple flowers tilted and waited/You were just seventeen/Your hair just reached your shoulders…”. The poem was published in Tuoi Tre newspaper in 1985 and was set to music by a number of musicians but did not cause a stir. It was not until 1998, with the music set by musician Huu Xuan and the voice of singer Lam Truong, that the song “Purple Flowers of the Past” became known and loved by many people.

Speaking of musician Huu Xuan, his full name is Nguyen Huu Xuan, born on February 23, 1941 in Ha Nam. From a cellist who graduated from the Vietnam Music School (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music) in 1963, he has strived to become the author of many songs and folk music ensembles. In 1989, musician Huu Xuan transferred to work at the Saigon Railway Tourism Company. His works are well known to many people such as: "Singing about my Fatherland"; "Boats and the Sea" by Xuan Quynh; "Hanoi in the season of flying leaves"; "Autumn written for you"; the song "Purple flowers of the past" by Cao Vu Huy Mien is very popular with audiences.

In addition to composing songs, musician Huu Xuan also writes dance music, film music, orchestral music, solo music for traditional folk instruments... Some of the works include "Spring Comes" written for Kloong put and orchestra; "Fruit Picking Season" written for T'rung and orchestra; "Rong House on the New Village"; "Hơ Re Dance"; "Spring in the Central Highlands"...

Now that he is old, the musician still writes quite regularly. He confided, “Only by traveling a lot, through wind, rain and sun can I have the practical experience to make good music. Sitting in one place makes me feel very pressured.” His contributions to music have been recognized with the Third Class Medal of Resistance Against America for National Salvation; Medal for Cultural Cause and many Gold Medals, Silver Medals, Certificates of Merit, and Certificates of Merit in National Professional Music and Dance Festivals as well as in other fields of activity.

Regarding the song “Hoa tim ngay xua” (Purple Flowers of the Past) - composer Huu Xuan composed the poem by poet Cao Vu Huy Mien, in 2003, Lai Thi Linh in village 5, Ha Van, Ha Trung, Thanh Hoa wrote her feelings about the song and sent it to the “You love music and comment on music” section of the YCTG Music program: “One hot summer afternoon, I quietly counted my steps on the road to school in the past, stopped at a shady spot and felt my soul soar… when from somewhere a sweet melody of “Hoa tim ngay xua” (Purple Flowers of the Past) rose up. In a moment, many familiar memories arose. Familiar like the color of the wild purple flowers on the roadside that I used to love: The road you came back at noon/Purple flowers tilted and waited/You were just seventeen/Your hair just reached your shoulders…

More than anyone, Huu Xuan is the one who understands the memories of student days, which are gentle, passing quickly but making us remember forever. Memories of the age of 17 appear with the slow melody of the song, not noisy... It is a young man secretly in love with a girl with shoulder-length hair... It is the purple color of student days... It is the scent of Magnolia flowers at night, it is the sound of a piano somewhere... everything is beautiful but far away. Returning to reality, the reality of the age of 17 is only a memory. Now the purple flowers are no longer waiting, and "only I am left standing in the rain". For all those who have passed the age of 17, they feel moved by Huu Xuan's song. Facing the rain alone and listening to this song again, we silently thank musician Huu Xuan and poet Cao Vu Huy Mien for speaking for us - Memories of the past are gentle but profound, that's why".