Goong Lake in autumn afternoon

(Baonghean) - I have heard many friends from the North and the South confide that they love Nghe An because they are nostalgic for the rich flavor of a bowl of green tea, miss the melodies and songs on the Lam River, and are lost in the eyes of Nghe An girls with their "mo te rang rua". As for me - a child born and raised on this land, those things have become flesh and blood, just need to slow down and every moment will bring back every corner of my homeland.

In Vinh City, the weather has entered autumn, the wind is cold enough to make us crave a cup of hot coffee. Usually at times like this, I go to a coffee shop on the shore of Goong Lake. Quiet, relaxing and full of poetry. Goong Lake is not as long and wide as West Lake, nor does it have the nostalgic look of Hoan Kiem Lake, but try to go to Goong Lake on an early autumn day, you will not be able to be indifferent to its peaceful and gentle beauty.

Goong Lake with views from Ngo Sy Thuc Street. Photo: Ngo Kien

Autumn mist lingers on the lake, leaving behind pure drops on the clusters of milk flowers that are giving off a strong fragrance in the corner of the street. On weekends, the lakeside cafe is almost full. It is crowded but not noisy at all. Everyone is quiet and soft as if afraid to disturb the quiet space and the pure, mysterious beauty of autumn scent by the lake. The old artist sits by the small window, exhaling puffs of cigarette smoke, his eyes half-closed, dreamily following Trinh Cong Son's music.

“Where to wander around, making life tiring. On our shoulders are the two suns and moons. Shining through a hundred years of a world of coming and going…” That melody is only meant to be listened to when time stops in the late night, people immerse themselves in the endless world of Trinh’s music when the pace of life is no longer hurried. However, at Goong Lake, people can find that music, letting their souls wander at any time. Perhaps because Goong Lake is quiet and exudes a quiet sadness.

I once chatted with a friend from college at the small table where the old artist was sitting. It was a cold winter afternoon, thick fog covered the lake, only the colors of the shirts of the women selling baked sweet potatoes nearby could be seen. Sipping a cup of hot coffee, my friend suddenly asked: "When did this lake come into existence?". His question made me pause, I had been attached to Goong Lake for a long time, visiting here about five or seven times a week, but I had never learned about its origin. My friend and I continued our conversation in the melodious melody of instrumental music in the coffee shop, but the question of the origin of Goong Lake remained unanswered.

After a while, I happened to go to the library to find information about the history of Vinh city and learned that after the second colonial exploitation (in 1914), the French built the Truong Thi Railway Factory. To build the factory foundation, they had to dig a large amount of soil, those holes were originally ponds, gradually forming lakes. At that time, laborers pushed carts carrying soil across the road, the soil was taken to build the track, so later people got used to calling it a cart lake, and the name was used in documents, and it was misspelled as "Goong".

After that meeting at the coffee shop, my friend moved to the South to start a business, we kept in touch less and also forgot about the story of Goong Lake. Living in the middle of the bustling and noisy streets of Saigon, does he still remember the tranquility of Vinh city, remember the autumn afternoon by the lake with misty smoke and unanswered questions?... As for me, I am still here, to find a quiet space after the daily hardships, to let my heart slowly drift in each beat of the street. Sometimes sitting by the lake, mumbling the strange-sounding name - Goong Lake - a name originating from a sad historical truth, my heart cannot help but feel nostalgic for my old friend...

But Vinh is not always sad and pensive. Goong Lake is located in Nguyen Tat Thanh Park, so it is an ideal destination for the elderly to practice yoga every morning, for young couples to confide in each other on the stone benches next to the lake, and for children to be excited and happy because their parents take them to the park to play duck pedaling. Sometimes Goong Lake is very lively and bustling; but not the hustle and bustle of hustle and bustle but the noise of life. Goong Lake is a colorful picture with different shades of light and dark.

Once I was wandering along the lake shore, suddenly I saw two old people walking hand in hand. Their steps were slow, their freckled hands were clasped tightly and a peaceful smile appeared behind the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes. It was the smile of people who had lived through all the storms, experienced all the flavors of life, and in the end, only eternal love remained. Happiness is that simple…

But there are also corners of the lake where the happy blue bird has not yet visited and chirped. There are glimpses of skinny, miserable shoeshine boys. With wooden boxes in hand, those children wander around the streets, stopping at coffee shops and sidewalk stalls, hoping to earn some money to make ends meet. Sometimes, they are so tired that they fall asleep on the grass by the lake, sometimes under the hot summer weather, sometimes shivering in the winter wind. Another time, while sitting on the second floor of a coffee shop, I caught the sad, yearning eyes of a girl selling cotton candy. She silently watched the children playing with their parents in Nguyen Tat Thanh Park. I waved her over and asked to buy a pink cotton candy. Was the candy pulled from the sugar or from her sweat and tears, but why did I feel salty on my lips?

Just like that, Goong Lake nestles between the main roads, witnessing the stories of life, people, and the changes and transformations of the city. Living under the miserable period of domination, the people of Nghe An rose up to fight with justice, with heroic revolutionary spirit following the sound of drums 30-31. After the devastating war, the citadel, pagodas and constructions were damaged a lot. Only Goong Lake remains, calmly lying in a peaceful place in the heart of the city, witnessing the pain and indomitable spirit of the people of Nghe An. And then today, witnessing the steady progress on the path of integration and development of this sunny and windy land. The vitality of Vinh city is rising strongly through the steel cores. A series of constructions, a series of urban areas have been, are and will be built. Vinh will reach further, shine even brighter, pushing away poverty and backwardness to stand firmly on a new height.

But Vinh will not be less gentle, not less passionate, still lingering in the hearts of strangers. Because Vinh has the rustic quietness of Goong Lake. As for me, Goong Lake is a place to go, to come, to return. When my heart is heavy with the sadness of the world, tired of the hustle and bustle of life, I return to Goong Lake, letting my soul follow each wave of water, blending into the tolerance of heaven and earth, serene and peaceful. That is enough for me to love this place passionately, so that each time I am away, I miss it, each time I am near, I am filled with anxiety.

Phuong Thao