Mai Phu Hao, born in 2008 in An Bien commune, An Giang province, currently preserves more than 700 war artefacts from various historical periods. From steel helmets and uniforms to items aged by time, for Hao these objects are not merely artefacts but carry the stories and marks of a bygone era.
Explaining how he came to collect such items, Hao recalled that in 2017, when he was a fourth-year pupil, he heard stories about the war and became very curious about what soldiers used, what their uniforms looked like and how equipment changed over time. This motivated him to start researching and collecting.
Among his collection, the item that moves Hao most deeply is an old newspaper announcing the passing of President Ho Chi Minh. "That artefact not only recalls a special milestone in the nation's history but aiso has personal meaning, because Uncle Ho has always been a role model for me to learn from and follow," Hao shared.
To build his collection, Hao has spent much time searching for information, travelling to many places and connecting with like-minded people. The journey has not always been easy: many items have been lost over time or lack information about their origins and the stories behind them. Yet his love of history has kept him persistently pursuing this work for years.
He has also taught himself to restore many damaged items such as helmets, uniforms and weapon models. Some restored pieces have been displayed in local museums and martyr shrines.
For Hao, preserving artefacts is also preserving the stories of the predecessors' struggle and sacrifice. "I hope young people, when standing before these artefacts, will see them as a historical mirror. The worn traces on them remind us that peace was hard won, helping the young to value the past and to feel a greater sense of responsibility to the country," he said.
I hope young people, when standing before these artefacts, will see them as a historical mirror. The worn traces on them remind us that peace was hard won, helping the young to value the past and to feel a greater sense of responsibility to the country.
Alongside preserving time-marked objects, many young people choose to retell past stories from their own generation's perspective. The "Stories of Peace" project by students of the Academy of Journalism and Communication is one such approach.
Rather than focusing on re-evoking wartime memory or familiar historical milestones, the project highlights the lives of soldiers in peacetime. Stories about their work, families and continued public service become slices of life that give young people a closer view of history.
According to Van Gia Khanh, head of the project team, instead of dwelling solely on events or figures, the team wants to tell more about the people who made history. They hope that through these everyday vignettes young people will better understand and appreciate the values the previous generation preserved and passed on.
The project focuses on three main strands. The series "My Peace" tells of veterans who continue to serve the country in peacetime through various activities and duties. "Scars of Time" records stories from the fiery years of veterans under care at the Wounded Soldiers' Care Centre in Nghe An province and at the Thuan Thanh Wounded Soldiers' Care Centre in Bac Ninh province.
![lich-su.jpg](https://en-cdn.nhandan.vn/images/a767b3d0e2687566a4b76b43bc4373217650554bfc437d55171a7e56258d9047175278125c495f491904141bb1c5e0fd/lich-su-1266.jpg.avif "Wounded soldier Do Dang Khuay speaks to members of the "Stories of Peace" project at the Thuan Thanh Wounded Soldiers Care Centre.")
Meanwhile, "Those Who Accompany" depicts the doctors, nurses and caregivers who daily tend to the wounded and sick veterans, helping to continue the story of gratitude in peacetime.
The production process has presented numerous challenges for team members. In addition to sourcing materials and connecting with subjects across provinces and cities, the group has had to find creative ways to make historical stories more accessible to young audiences.
Thus, rather than relying on conventional formats, the team preserves and retells stories using digital archives, photobooks and exhibition-experience activities. In doing so, memories that might seem distant are brought vividly to life and offer new perspectives on the lives of soldiers in peacetime.
History continues to be preserved and spread in contemporary life, expressing gratitude, national pride and an awareness among young people of the value of peace.
"What moves us most is sensing that the spirit of the soldiers-the spirit of Uncle Ho's Army-has never changed. In wartime it was the ideal of defending the Fatherland; today it continues as a desire to build the country, preserve peace and keep serving the community. The optimism, resilience and patriotism of the older generation have become a huge source of inspiration and motivation for us," Van Gia Khanh expressed.
The public interest and positive feedback have encouraged Khanh and his team to plan further history projects to be implemented in the near future.
Alongside "Stories of Peace", numerous projects such as "Gen Z and Vietnamese History", "Star on the Pith Helmet" and "Patriotism in the New Era" show that history and national spirit are being conveyed by young people in formats better suited to modern society.
These efforts confirm that history continues to be preserved and spread in contemporary life, expressing gratitude, national pride and an awareness among young people of the value of peace.
