These are some of the touching stories of love shown in local communities m.

1. In 2007, Ngo Doan Thanh in Vinh Chau commune in Soc Trang province, built Duc Tho nursing home on the land of his family. Covering 1.5 hectares, the home for solitary old people cost Thanh VND4 billion, equal to 400 taels of gold at that time.

After two years of construction, Duc Tho nursing home opened. One year later, Thanh passed away, leaving a dying wish for his son to continue the charity work.

Thanh’s son has maintained Duc Tho nursing home since then.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, 60, head of the nursing home management board, said: “Thanh’s ideals and work are really noble. Unfortunately, he passed away because of a terminal illness. We  have the responsibility to continue the benefaction initiated by Thanh."

Since its operation, Duc Tho has accommodated over 200 old people who have different conditions.

According to Khanh, there are 20 people aged 60-90. When they first came to the home, their moods were low and talked little with people around. Volunteers had to encourage them, thus turning the home into a place of compassion.

2. At the age of 93, Pham Thi Lan in Hanoi has donated her hair, which she has had for 70 years, to cancer patients.

Do Tuyet Minh, 34, a grandchild of Lan, said she loved her hair so much and has had a haircut only two or three times over the last 93 years. In the past, she washed her hair with herbs and did not use chemicals, so her hair was always shimmering. Twenty years ago, at the age of 70, because of a fall, she no longer could walk so grandchildren began to care of her.

They encouraged the grandmother to cut her hair because she had difficulties in walking, and Land also thought of having her haircut for sale or memories.

From a colleague, Minh heard about a program to donate hair to cancer patients run by the Breast Cancer Network Vietnam (BCNV), and encouraged her grandmother to donate her hair.

The hair, 50 centimeters long and shimmering, was cut and sent via post to BCNV.

3. Do Minh Khoi, 46, in Nha Trang City and his adopted son went looking for several lost dogs. On July 27, his son came to a slaughterhouse in Dien Khanh district and saw 31 dogs kept in iron cages, about to be slaughtered.

“He (Khoi’s son) felt sorry for the dogs and called me. When I came there, I saw the dogs lying still next to the slaughtering tools,” Khoi recalled.

He decided to buy all 31 dogs at the slaughterhouse. 

At first, the slaughterhouse’s owner agreed to VND20 million. But when he brought a vehicle to take the dogs to his home, the owner changed his mind and asked Khoi to pay VND4 million more.

Khoi, who wanted to carry the dogs out of the slaughterhouse as soon as possible, agreed to pay VND4 million more. As such, he had to pay VND24 million to redeem the 31 dogs.

After that, he carried the dogs to his home to take care of them. He has posted information about the rescue of the 31 dogs, hoping that the owners of the dogs would come back and get their pets.

Khoi said he never imagined that this simple action could touch the hearts of the community.

4.  Nguyen The Nhan, 18, in HCM City, is known as a schoolboy, holding guitar and singing revolutionary songs in the middle of a martyr's cemetery. A clip of his singing shown on social networks has caught public attention.

Nhan began singing revolutionary songs at the cemetery to pay tribute to heroes and martyrs in 2021. However, only in April 2022 did he begin post his clips on social networks. He has been applauded and supported by the public.

“I am happy that my clips have had so much positive feedback. I want to remind people, especially youth, about the need to preserve traditional culture and memorialize soldiers who sacrificed for the current peace.

To enter the cemetery, Nhan needs to get the nod from cemetery keepers. After that, he burns incense to ask for the martyrs’ permission to sing.

Vinh Nhi