Hometown river wharf...

(Baonghean) - Since the time of land reclamation, our ancestors always considered the "water source" as the number 1 priority when choosing land to build a village. Therefore, while the ethnic minorities in the highlands built villages by streams, the Kinh people in the delta built villages along rivers. In short, the village "follows" the river. But water is not only essential for daily life but also for farming, because waterways are convenient for transportation; and also because the abundant fish and shrimp resources in the belly of the "mother river" can ease the worries of some people struggling to make a living.

Where there is a river, there is a village, there must be a river wharf.

Dozens, hundreds of wharves lie along the rivers. Long rivers have many wharves; short rivers have few. In the past, there were almost no bridges. To cross the river, people had to "go down to the wharf". River wharves were formed in sections of the river that were convenient for people to cross. Crossing the river by boat or on foot depended on the depth of the water and the width of the river wharf. And, also based on the way of coming and going, people divided the river wharves into 2 types: "Ferry wharves" are often located in eroded, narrow sections of the river, with deep water, convenient for boats to dock close to the shore without running aground. "Wading wharves" are the opposite; they are found on alluvial flats, with wide riverbeds and shallow water so that people and livestock can wade across the river...

Hometown river wharf. Photo: Sy Nhiep

Each river wharf has its own name. These are places that can be named after a village, an event, a special object on the wharf... Or more funnily, sometimes it is just a random name of a wise man at the time of the river wharf's opening! Most of the names of the river wharfs in my hometown are very rustic, simple, and familiar - you can imagine them right away: Big wharf, Raft wharf, Da Tree wharf... But sometimes, strange names also appear; for example, my hometown river has a wharf called... Book wharf! I don't know where that "cultural name" came from; but the village on the wharf in the past was poor all year round, worrying about food, so what's the point of talking about books!

Like temples, markets, river wharves are also gathering places - a kind of public center (community activity center) of ancient Vietnamese villages. Yes, it is also crowded; but it is a very special crowdedness of river wharves. It does not carry the atmosphere of buying and selling like markets; nor is it confined in the solemn, ceremonial atmosphere of temples and pagodas. It is a kind of "end of day playground" of the people, comfortable, free. The farmers, the traders, the buffalo herders or the residents who live by the river, the ferrymen leave the river wharves in the morning; in the afternoon they also return to the river wharves. Stopping on the wharf, strangely enough, the open space, the vastness of the sky and water of the river wharves seems to open people's hearts as well. So few people passing by the wharf in the afternoon can bear to turn away. No matter how rushed, you still have to spend five or ten minutes to dip your face in the cool river water, or sit down on the sand by the river with acquaintances and chat about trivial things...

...And then there is childhood. Childhood is happily swinging on the back of a shiny black buffalo, happily splashing into the river. Childhood is splashing around next to a wet yellow cow, full and soaking its feet, dreamily watching the red sunset in the western sky, hesitant to go ashore...

...And night falls. And the moon rises. The moon slant-wise, illuminating the silhouettes of the young couple who sneaked out of their house to meet at the wharf. The moon generously sprinkles gold all over the shimmering river. The moon shines on the hometown river wharf, diligently recording into the annals each dreamy love story like the moon...

Y Nguyen

(Phu Yen)