MISSING ĐÔNG GIANG – A JOURNEY OF MEMORY AND MOUNTAIN ROADS

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By Mr. Old Man

Getting lost, but finding a bond

I still remember my first time, about ten years ago, when I biked to Ngầm Đôi. On the way back, sun-drunk and disoriented, I somehow ended up all the way in Đông Giang. That “accidental” detour turned into a quiet bond. Every now and then, the memory calls me back—back to the winding hills, the endless green tea slopes, and the little roadside eateries that never fail to warm the heart.

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Đông Giang – home of Kiền Pass, bánh bèo, and Cơ Tu children

To me, Đông Giang is a place of forested climbs and winding passes—none more daunting than the notorious Kiền Pass. It’s where you’ll find the rolling tea hills of Ba and Tư communes, where the bánh bèo at Aunt Hoa’s is so good it’s borderline legendary, and where a cup of mixed sweet soup from Aunt Chi at Trung Man market is pure bliss. And then, there are the Cơ Tu children in A Ting—curious, bright-eyed, and unforgettable.

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The #Trashtag Challenge and a surprise ripple effect

One of the most memorable experiences was The # Trashtag Challenge. Along with three friends—Quốc Trần, Lê Vinh, and Bích Trâm—we biked over a hundred kilometers to clean up two garbage sites at the top of Kiền Pass. What started as a casual act for social media unexpectedly caught fire: the local authorities and residents of Ba commune stepped up, and over a year later, those trash heaps had vanished. In their place were proper waste bins and scheduled collection. A small deed, a lasting impact.

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Same Đông Giang, same old me—just a few more wrinkles and a lot more photos

Just yesterday, I returned to Đông Giang with a few biking friends. The climbs were still just as cruel, the stops just as sweet. I paid a visit to Aunt Hoa’s for her famous bánh bèo, had another cup of chè at Trung Man, and of course, took a bunch of photos to mark another lovely return to this familiar mountain haven.

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Mr. Old Man

(A sunny, hilly day in Đông Giang)

NHỚ ĐÔNG GIANG – HÀNH TRÌNH CỦA NỖI NHỚ VÀ NHỮNG CON DỐC XANH – Mr. Old Man