The River Is Always in Motion

(DTO) At dawn, standing on the banks of the Tien River, one hears the water whispering against the shore, the sound of boats mingling with the wind and the scent of young rice. The river remains as it has always been—flowing, gentle, nurturing generations. Yet, if we listen deeply, we find that the river never repeats itself. Every bend, every pulse of the water is a new breath

The Tien River does not stand still, for it understands that to flow is to live. And as the river moves, the land transforms.

TIEN RIVER - A HISTORIC ARTERY, THE SIGN OF A REAWAKENING LAND

From the Cambodian border, the Tien River flows through Thuong Phuoc, Hong Ngu, Cao Lanh, Cai Be, and Cho Gao before opening its heart to the East Sea. This journey of over 200 kilometers is measured not just in length, but in layers of history, culture, people, and aspirations.

The Tien River carries not only water but also the historical current of the southern land, where the first settlers followed Nguyen Huu Canh to reclaim and expand the territory, where ancient villages, floating markets, and an entire riverine civilization were formed.

Each stretch of river is an open page of history—times of bustling trade, and seasons of flooding filled with hardship and affection.

The river has witnessed farmers sowing rice during flood season, heard the calls of ferries under moonlit nights, and reflected the lively floating markets.

Today, it is witnessing a “new transformation” as Dong Thap and Tien Giang merge as one, opening up a new development space with multiple layers of value.

Just as the river connects two banks, the new province needs a current of thinking that links past – present – future.

THE ECONOMIC RIVER: WHERE VALUE FLOWS BEYOND THE WATER

For a long time, the Tien River has been one of the lifelines of the delta. Along its banks lie rice granaries, fruit orchards, fish ponds, craft villages, floating markets, boat wharves, industrial zones, and emerging urban areas.

However, looking at the Tien River merely as a transport route or farmland is only seeing the "surface." Beneath the water lies an economic flow undergoing restructuring: from quantity-based to value-based agriculture; from raw production to refined processing; and from selling products to selling stories, experiences, and trust. 

The Tien River has the potential to become a smart economic corridor, where the flows of goods, data, technology, and tourism converge. This will create a multi-valued development zone—a place where rice fields remain green and fish still teem in the waters, yet is also home to clean processing plants, eco-tourism sites, logistics hubs, and people who embrace a global mindset while preserving their local soul.

THE RIVER OF CULTURE: WHERE MEMORY MEETS THE FUTURE

Every stretch of the river is a page of memory. In Hong Ngu, there are the river wharves and the rhythmic ho chants of responsive singing. In Sa Dec, the flower village wafts its fragrance every spring. In Cai Be and Cho Gao, the floating markets remain places where people exchange both goods and smiles. However, culture is not merely for preservation; it is for development.

By retelling the story of the Tien River through the language of the modern era, via cinema, tourism, the arts, and experiential education, the river transcends being a mere landscape to become a source of creative inspiration. 

In this light, culture is no longer just a heritage of the past, but the 'soft foundation' of a creative economy, enabling this land to develop sustainably without losing its soul."

THE RIVER OF SOCIETY: WHERE PEOPLE LEARN TO COEXIST AND SHARE

Along the Tien River, every community, cooperative, and business is like a "small islet." If everyone only cares for their own piece of land, the river will eventually run dry. But when we join hands to conserve water, share resources, protect the forests, and reinforce the banks, the river remains full and vibrant.

Development cannot merely be about "growth"; it must be the collective advancement of the community. We cannot allow one bank of the river to prosper while the other remains in poverty. 

We cannot let businesses thrive while farmers are left behind. Nor can we pursue modernization while forgetting the bare-handed laborers toiling along the riverbanks.

A sustainable society, like a river, needs small tributaries to distribute the source of life. Just as the Tien River branches out and meanders through villages so that everyone can "touch the water,".  

THE ENVIRONMENTAL RIVER: LESSONS IN ADAPTATION AND HARMONY WITH NATURE

The Tien River is facing numerous challenges: dwindling water levels, reduced silt, severe erosion, and deep saltwater intrusion. Yet, amidst this adversity, nature teaches us a vital lesson: "To survive, one must learn to flow differently."

We need a development mindset that harmonizes with the laws of nature: not "fighting" the water, but "living with" it. It is not just about "building dikes," but about "making way for the water to flow and the silt to return." We must move beyond "doing economy" to "nurturing ecology." 

Every riverside factory must ask: "What am I giving back to the river?" Every bridge must reflect: "Am I connecting shores of joy, or am I obstructing the natural flow?" Development without environmental preservation is like a river losing its source.

THE RIVER OF PEOPLE: WHERE ASPIRATIONS ARE REBORN

If the Tien River is the lifeblood, then the people of this riverine land are its heartbeat. 

They have endured hardships and toil, yet they possess an invaluable quality: the ability to adapt, to survive, and to care for one another. The people of these waters can read the sky for rain, the waves for wind, and a person's eyes for their heart. They understand that "only in swift currents is the steady rower revealed."

In today's new currents of digital transformation, innovation, and green startups, the people of the Tien River need a new state of mind: not just to "comply" but to "think differently"; not just to "seize opportunities" but to "create the future"; and not just to "go with the flow" but to "navigate the current."

WHEN THE RIVER AND THE NEW PROVINCE MOVE AS ONE

The Tien River continues to flow, and the new Dong Thap flows with it. A river cannot be separated from its land, just as economic development cannot be detached from culture, people, and the environment.

If the Tien River symbolizes perpetual motion, then the new Dong Thap Province must be a testament to an even more profound transformation: shifting from linear thinking to ecosystem thinking; from single-sector growth to multi-layered value development; and from exploiting resources to unleashing knowledge. For a river lives because it flows, and a land grows because it moves.

Let the Tien River—our historic river—flow not only through the earth but through the will, aspirations, and actions of the people of the new Dong Thap. Let every drop of water carry the energy of change, and every individual become a small current feeding into the great river of the future.
 

By LE MINH HOAN
Translated by X.QUANG