Endless fields of sea daisies in Cua Lo

(Baonghean)Cua Lo Beach, throughout its long history, has been a long, beautiful beach with white sand and golden sunshine. Through countless changes and ups and downs, Cua Lo has grown into a famous seaside tourist destination in Northern Vietnam. Besides its picturesque scenery, tourists are also left with unforgettable impressions by a small but vibrant flower that has become a symbol of Cua Lo: the sea daisy.

Sea daisies bloom beautifully by Cua Lo beach.

According to legend, Emperor Bảo Đại, the flamboyant king and the last successor of the Nguyễn dynasty (which consisted of 9 lords and 13 kings), was instrumental in bringing this hauntingly beautiful flower from France to this land of blue sea and white sand. Who knows how arduous and challenging the journey of these tiny seeds, crossing countless oceans from the cold regions of the land once known as the City of Light in the 19th century to sprout and bloom in this tropical coastal region, was? But today, visitors, already captivated by the magical turquoise sea, are once again overwhelmed by the vibrant colors of the sea daisies, their golden and purple hues intertwined, creating an irresistible allure for a return visit.

There are also no official documents mentioning the sea daisy (Chrysanthemum indicum). In flower dictionaries, we only find names like red jasmine, blue bellflower, wild lavender, turmeric, or more rustic and rustic varieties like hibiscus, water lily, and morning glory... The sea daisy has been completely forgotten, a regrettable omission, because it has been a long-time friend not only of the coastal towns in North Central Vietnam, but has even become a symbol of the region over 500 years ago when Thái úy Quận công Nguyễn Sư Hồi, the eldest son of the founding minister of the Lê dynasty, Nguyễn Xí, came here to settle and establish a village. According to many accounts, sea daisies can also be found in the sun-drenched Bãi Dài beach (Cam Ranh-Khánh Hòa), or further north at Đồng Châu beach (Tiền Hải-Thái Bình), and sometimes even blooming alongside the gentle waves of Sầm Sơn (Thanh Hóa). However, it seems that in Cua Lo, the sea daisies truly display their vibrant colors and unforgettable beauty, becoming an indispensable part, a "specialty" of this coastal town.

Sea daisies, a species that migrated here and "found its match," or perhaps "had a destiny" to find refuge in this coastal land, bask in the sun alongside the vibrant purple morning glory on the white sand. Their hairy petals roll along the sun-drenched rows of dark green casuarina trees, as if from the dawn of time. On their delicate calyxes with slender, jade-green stems, the sea daisies bloom humbly, yet their vibrant colors are unmistakable. The tiny sea daisy, at first glance, resembles a sun still wet with ocean water, majestically rising from the horizon at dawn when the sky and sea meet. The entire town is bathed in millions of brilliant little suns. Even when the flower withers, the calyx remains firmly attached to its mother branch, never letting go. The ancients cherished the daisy because, as the saying goes, "The leaves never leave the branch, the flower never falls to the ground." This flower is considered a symbol of fidelity and the virtue of a noble person, even more so than the pure lotus, whose "though separated from its stem, its heart still clings to the thread." Even when withered and shriveled, the leaves still refuse to leave the branch, and the flower, having lost its youthful beauty and faded from the realm of dreams, still cannot bear to leave the plant alone and returns to the earth.

The poetess Xuan Quynh had a pure and serene feeling about the sea daisy: "The rosy sun dries clothes quickly / The sea daisy blooms in autumn / Clusters of ripe sim fruit on the hillside / Silently listening to the lullaby's gentle singing." And the poet and musician Nguyen Trong Tao visited the sea daisy land of Cua Lo more than once. He was so moved by the flowers and the people of this place that he wrote the poem "Evening on a Distant Island" with such beautiful lines: "A soldier remembers the color of the sea daisy / The yellow color of the flower, a memory of the sunset / Silently listening to the soldier sing about the flower / Named after a very gentle girl."

If we consider the period from the town's establishment in 1994 to the present, 20 years is not a long time compared to the more than 100 years since the French discovered Cua Lo's tourism potential. However, looking back at what Cua Lo has achieved, it can be considered a miracle. With its iconic symbol being the youthful and radiant sea daisy, the coastal town of Cua Lo is becoming more beautiful and bustling, transforming into a charming seaside fairy inviting visitors from all over the world.

Cong Manh