Muong Lat is a mountainous district of central province of ThanhHoa. It borders with Sop Bau and Viengxay districts of Houaphanh province, Laos. MuongLat is known as a bright spot of the Vietnam – Laos relations. Besides being a peaceful borderarea, there are many Vietnamese- Lao families living happily along the border.
Dinh Thi Uy, a Vietnamese woman married Lo Van Muon, a Lao nationality. After their marriage in 2002, the couple chose MuongLat as their home.
Although life still has many difficulties as MuongLat is the poorest district of ThanhHoa province. But it is the land and love of theVietnamese wifethathas kept the Lao man in Vietnam.
In the past, Uy was a beautiful girl and Muon was a Lao returnee. The young couples met each other and soon fell in love. The Lao man followed the Vietnamese girl to her country and their nine-year-old son is the fruit of that love across the border.
The Thai language has been used widely in the region for thousands ofyears, therefore both Vietnamese and Lao living along the border area can communicate easily, living in harmony and together they have contributed to the development of the locality.
In Muong Lat district, which shares more than 100 km of border with Laos, the locals’ travel, trade and exchange with the Lao people have always been facilitated. This is resulted from close collaboration between border guards of the two countries in their efforts to build a borderline of peace and friendship.
On the other side of the border, Somvang commune of Sop Bau district has 40 households, of which eight are Vietnamese – Lao families.
Vietnamese bride VyThiUi married Saikham, a Lao national in 1997. They have three kids, one has a Vietnamese surname, and the other two have Lao surnames as the couple want their children to remember the love of the two nations.
Their house was a gift from Ten Tan’s border guards to help them stabilise their life.
In the midst of the rivers and mountains with greenery connecting the two nations, there are many Vietnam and Laos’ loves flowering along the border.
DinhThiUy and Lo Van Muon; VyThiUi and Saikham are only two of many beautiful Vietnam and Lao’s love stories in the region, and their kids who are Vietnam and Lao mixed will help tighten the two nations’ relations which have been nurtured from generation to generation by the late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and his Lao counterpart KaysonPhamvihane as well as leaders and people of the two countries.-VNA
