The “once in sixty years” Typhoon Yagi caused enormous damage to people, property and the living environment. The catastrophic natural disaster made many people sad, but also warmed their hearts because of the solidarity, mutual love and affection of their compatriots across the country. Someone said that the story of selfless sacrifice during the war is over, now people live “wiser”, “more realistic”, think “more about themselves”! Reality shows a completely different story.

In recent days, due to the impact of storm No. 3 (storm Yagi), provinces and cities in Northern Vietnam have suffered heavy losses in terms of human lives and property. (Source: UNICEF)

Traditions and national culture in natural disasters and enemy attacks

The Party and State mobilized all national resources and armed forces to be present in the most difficult and dangerous places, with the policy of not letting anyone go hungry, cold, thirsty, or homeless... The spirit of "those who have money help money, those who have merit help merit, those who have much help much, those who have little help little..." recalls the Call for National Resistance (December 19, 1946). The spirit of "people's war" was strongly and emotionally aroused during the storm and flood.

Millions of people, in their own way, are willing to sacrifice themselves to save victims, share material and human affection for flood-affected areas. They are just ordinary people, but when in trouble, they put aside their worries about making a living, “for everyone”, and take extraordinary actions. That spirit sows faith in life and in the future. The story of a group of cars driving slowly to shelter a motorcyclist from the storm on a bridge and many other touching stories spread throughout the world the image of a Vietnam rich in compassion.

Not only in the Yagi disaster, but every time the country suffers from natural disasters or enemy attacks, the heroic qualities and traditions of resilience, indomitability, solidarity, humanity, and “loving others as we love ourselves”… rise up strongly, creating great strength to overcome all difficulties and challenges.

What forged that tradition, that special quality?

Since the beginning of time, the first Vietnamese community chose to settle in this land, then diligently expanded its territory to the South, building an S-shaped country with a strategic position, its back leaning on the mountain, its face facing the sea. That country has abundant resources but also many natural disasters and enemies. "Water, fire, bandits" are present in every season; a thousand years of Chinese domination, a hundred years of colonial rule, thirty years of fighting "two great empires", but it is determined not to submit, determined not to be assimilated.

Generation after generation passed down the proclamation, “ Fight until your hair grows long, fight until your teeth are black… Fight so that history knows that the Southern nation has a heroic owner ”. Such a nation and people, in order to survive and develop, must and have forged special qualities: self-reliance, resilience, heroism, indomitability before the enemy; diligence, creativity in labor, living in harmony with nature; solidarity, humanity, justice, tolerance, peace, “remembering the source of the water you drink”…

The sacred legend of the “hundred-egg sac” has a vitality that will be passed down to future generations. The sacred shell contains a core, the ethnic groups in Vietnam call each other “compatriots”, with the meaning of being born from the same sac, the same origin, “children of the Dragon and Fairy”. As Vietnamese people, no matter where they live, at home or abroad, they all know by heart the saying, “No matter where you go; Remember the Ancestor’s Death Anniversary on the 10th of March”. The Hung King’s Death Anniversary - the National Ancestor, is an occasion to express deep gratitude to the Hung Kings who built the country, and to our ancestors who fought against foreign invaders to protect the country. In the world, not many countries and ethnic groups have the tradition of worshiping the same Ancestor.

Every nation and people in the world has its own history and traditions. In addition to common values, Vietnam has its own identity, pride in its history, traditions, and national culture. From its history, its heroic traditions, from the hearts of the people during the days of national mourning, from the great typhoon Yagi…, three basic issues arise:

One, the people's hearts are an extremely great "pushing" force, an invaluable resource of the country and people; a fundamental factor for Vietnam to overcome countless difficulties and challenges, to survive and develop continuously. Two, such a country and people must certainly enjoy independence, freedom, prosperity, happiness, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers, as President Ho Chi Minh aspired. Three, what needs to be done, how to increasingly realize that tradition and aspiration?

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai launched a fundraising campaign to support people affected by storm No. 3 (typhoon Yagi). (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in China)

Inheritance and development in the new era

During his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that, with all modesty, we can still say that: Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today. Vietnam has developed to a new height, but the country's journey is still entering a new era.

History, tradition, and national culture truly have eternal value when inherited and promoted in the present and future. This is an extremely glorious but also very heavy responsibility belonging to the Party and State of Vietnam. The new era with the highlight of the 4.0 revolution and the digital transformation revolution; the era of reaching out, expanding the living space and development of the country and people; many opportunities but also many challenges.

The mission of leadership requires the Party and State to comprehensively and synchronously promote the innovation process with new thinking, faster speed, and promote more highly the spirit of "5 self": Self-control, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride; seize opportunities, turn danger into opportunity; strongly promote the nation's internal spiritual and material strength to combine closely and most effectively with external resources. The Party and State outline the correct guidelines, policies, and lead and direct the implementation to achieve success in the cause of national construction, development, and defense.

Cadres and party members play a decisive role and are the breakthrough in realizing the Party and State's guidelines, policies and strategies. People look to the exemplary attitudes and actions of cadres and party members, from the Central to the grassroots levels, to strengthen their trust and strive to follow the path outlined by the Party and State. Cadres and party members must have vision, strategic thinking, qualities, and capacity to act commensurate with their positions and pure revolutionary ethics. Lacking one of these basic criteria, cadres and party members will not be able to undertake the important responsibilities entrusted to them by the Party, State and People.

The Party and the State need to continue to perfect the institutions, promote the spirit of "6 dares", "dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, dare to speak, dare to innovate and dare to face difficulties and challenges"; at the same time, must "lock power in a cage of mechanisms". Along with selecting, training and assigning the right cadres for the right job, it is necessary to focus on training and testing through practice and inspection and supervision work. Do well and truly promote grassroots democracy, the supervisory role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, political and social organizations and the "eyes and ears of the people".

The Vietnamese people have good traditions and qualities, but a part of them still have "negative points". That is, they are good at enduring but somewhat conservative; they are dynamic but still arbitrary, lacking awareness of obeying the law at all times and in all places; they are sick with achievements, formalities, subjectivity, complacency, factionalism, localism, saying things that do not match their actions...

To limit and eliminate "bad habits and vices", it is necessary to continue to build and implement a "national value system"; build and promote a culture imbued with national identity, "using beauty to eliminate ugliness". Synchronously build and promote: a modern market economy with socialist orientation; a culture imbued with national identity and absorbing the quintessence of world culture; a solid national defense and people's security; and a comprehensive, modern diplomacy, proactively integrating deeply into the international community, making positive contributions to the world community.

Closely and effectively combining the "four foundations" creates a foundation for Vietnam to fly far and reach new heights.