Walk along Xuan Street
Tran Hai
(Baonghean.vn) - Anyone who has ever gone to the highlands at the beginning of the year, when the vast forests and hills are silent, anxiously opening their fresh green buds to welcome the new year. The slight chill of the pure mist filtered from an altitude of thousands of meters above sea level, though it may blur the scenery, brightens our hearts with a clear light, the light of returning to the familiar doorstep of childhood, where our grandmother has been waiting for us for so long. The road to the village remains forever white with reeds, a source of contemplation.
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| The peach blossoms of Muong Long |
The car stopped at a small inn in Noọng Dẻ village along Highway 7. Suddenly, a few golden rays of sunlight, a specialty of the highlands, shimmered through the mist, flickering and shining far below, where the small, charming Mường Xén resembled a cloud-shaped platter, with houses like dishes laid out on it, and the Nậm Mộ river meandered gently like a soft, flowing scarf. Suddenly, I wanted to embrace all that overlapping landscape, so incredibly endearing. The border region!
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The hospitable owner, with his rosy-cheeked children, invited guests to raise a glass and toast with a horn of wine to start the New Year. A tempting aroma wafted from the smoldering charcoal in the kitchen. "What's that smoldering charcoal?" he asked. "It's Pa Píng (grilled fish)!" the guest exclaimed. The fresh, clean Nậm Mộ river fish—each weighing about one or five kilograms—had arrived. The fish, weighing around one or five kilograms, were gutted from the back, drained, and then rubbed with fragrant roasted salt, fresh chili peppers, crushed mắc khén (a type of spice), chopped onions, garlic, and herbs. All the ingredients were mixed together and stuffed into the fish's belly for a spicy, aromatic, salty, and sweet flavor. Then, the fish were clamped head-to-tail and grilled over the smoldering charcoal.
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| Spring Smile |
The small village greets visitors with the rosy cheeks of Thai girls, with the lively Lam Vong dance celebrating the New Year in the courtyard of the highland primary school, where the national flag proudly flies, its bright red dot standing out against the verdant landscape. Spring is arriving, filling the border region, amidst the majestic land and sky of western Nghe An province.
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| Spring Festival Ball Throwing Festival |
Along the road uphill, the swaying of the vehicle and the nameless mountain flowers of countless varieties seemed to stir along the winding, undulating path in the deep green. Tiny houses, leaning precariously against the sky, stood out as gray-brown patches amidst the vibrant green of the endless corn and rice paddies sloping down the hillside. Those are the field huts! These are the granaries where our people in the highlands store their food! In spring, the field huts rest quietly, preparing for the many harvests of golden rice and plump corn to come.
Tran Hai