Spring comes to Huoi Moi peak

(Baonghean) -One day before Lunar New Year, following the members of the Youth Union of Que Phong District People's Committee, we set foot in Huoi Moi 1 village, Tri Le commune (Que Phong) and witnessed the joy of the Mong people in the border area. The land and sky entered Spring, people's hearts were joyful, everything seemed to beat together in a sacred rhythm...

Giving warm clothes to children in Huoi Moi 1

At the end of the year, work was busy, the streets were bustling, but when a friend informed us that the Youth Union of Que Phong District People's Committee was organizing a gift-giving trip to Huoi Moi 1 village, we quickly packed our bags and went up the forest to the "Que land". Kim Son town was busier than usual. Tri Le highland market was selling peach blossoms, many of which had blossomed. Along with that, the specialties of black chicken, black pig, and taro were being sold more and more by the people. At this time in Bu Chong Cha, the fog was no longer thick, the bright sunshine had begun to warm the mountains and forests so that the trees could sprout and bloom. Passing through Ta Pan, Minh Chau, Cam, and Don villages, we saw the Thai, Mong, and Kho Mu people busy preparing for Tet. People were cleaning their houses and villages to welcome a truly joyful Tet.

The Que Phong District Youth Union has collected and mobilized benefactors to support 20 million VND. This amount of money was used to buy warm clothes, slippers, candy for students and some clothes for adults. The road to Huoi Moi 1 is still difficult and bumpy, so nearly 30 members of the Youth Union transported these gifts by motorbike. The road from Don village to Huoi Moi 1 is about 5km long, but it is difficult and arduous. Previously, it was a walking path, but now the locals have leveled and dug it enough for a motorbike to pass. If they encounter a motorbike going in the opposite direction, one of the two motorbikes must stop and move close to the edge to let the other motorbike pass before continuing the journey.

The convoy carrying Tet gifts followed a small road winding around the mountainside, with a high mountain on one side and a deep abyss on the other. Sitting behind, we were scared many times because the car jumped up as if it wanted to throw us to the ground. Ly Ba Cha - a cadre of the Tri Le Commune Front, was considered a "local god" so he took on the task of leading the way and transporting journalists. Cha's house used to live in Huoi Moi 1, then moved to the Minh Chau resettlement area. Therefore, for him, the road to Huoi Moi 1 is the road home, Cha is familiar with all the slopes, bends, and streams. With his experience in forest roads, Cha required each member of the group to always keep a distance of 30-50m, in case when going uphill, driving too close together will easily cause collisions or loss of momentum, making it very difficult for the car to continue. Ly Ba Cha shared: "It's the dry season now, so traveling is easy. But when it's the rainy season, the road is slippery and muddy, sometimes the car won't listen to us."

After more than an hour of struggling with the "iron horse" on the steep and dangerous mountain pass, we reached the top of a high mountain. Looking down from here, the center of Tri Le commune looked like a colorful painting, in which the green of the mountains and forests and the village was the main color. The terraced fields were full of water, waiting for the day when farmers sowed. Continuing on for about 10 minutes, Huoi Moi 1 village appeared with its ancient sa mu tile roofs looming in the mountain mist. The peach gardens had begun to compete in blooming, and the orchid pots had also opened their flower clusters. The people of Huoi Moi 1 welcomed the group from the beginning of the village with cheerful, excited smiles, and tight handshakes showing closeness and affection.

Taking advantage of the time when everyone was out admiring peach blossoms and orchids, we chatted with the Party Secretary Va Ga Vu. It is known that Huoi Moi 1 has a total of 64 households with nearly 400 people. The village is located 3 km from the border, only 5 km from the Lao village. For generations, the Mong people in Huoi Moi 1 have been attached to the mountains and forests and slash-and-burn farming. In other words, the mountains and forests have fed the people of Huoi Moi 1. Recently, the people have actively reclaimed 33 hectares of rice fields, contributing to increasing food sources, and hunger is gradually being pushed back. Thanks to that, the people can live in peace, and there is no longer a situation of free migration.

The Mong people in Huoi Moi 1 still preserve the beauty of traditional culture. This is first shown through the architecture of the houses. 100% of the houses, including primary schools, kindergartens and border stations here, are roofed and hung with sa mu planks. And the fences separating each house are nothing more than sa mu planks. This is understandable, because sa mu trees are quite abundant in the border mountains and forests. Moreover, the road to Huoi Moi 1 is very difficult and bumpy, so it is impossible to transport other raw materials to the village. Along with sa mu tile roofs, the Mong people here also preserve the melodious sound of the panpipe, the cu xia, lu tau and the Mong xoe melodies. All members of the village have traditional costumes to wear on holidays.

Boys and girls of Huoi Moi 1 village sing to celebrate Spring

To welcome the Year of the Horse, most families have prepared all the necessary things. From sticky rice and dong leaves to wrap cakes to chickens, pigs and new clothes for the children. In a few days, the village will organize a contest to make rice cakes, throw pao and fight bulls. Secretary Va Ga Vu added that, like Mong people across the country, in the past, Mong people in Huoi Moi 1 celebrated Tet around December, when the crops were harvested and the rice was in the barn. Recently, following the Party and State's call, Huoi Moi 1 people have celebrated Tet with the whole country. This demonstrates the spirit of solidarity and unity.

In the warm, bright sunlight, the ceremony of giving Tet gifts to students and people of Huoi Moi 1 began. First, the group gave warm clothes to preschoolers, then from grade 1 to grade 9. The young people who usually work with computers and process documents were now excited to travel 40 km full of hardship and difficulty to directly choose and put on the Mong children the most suitable clothes. Their eyes shone with joy and sharing. Mr. Luu Van Hung - Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union said: "Que Phong is a poor district, especially the villages along the border. The terrain is rugged, transportation is difficult, and the climate is harsh, so the lives of the people, especially the children, are always disadvantaged. Therefore, our Youth Union has unanimously mobilized members and benefactors to support so that people can have a warmer and happier Tet".

And member Nguyen Thuong Thuong shared: “Coming here, seeing the innocent, carefree children, who suffer many disadvantages compared to their peers in the central region, I was really touched. From then on, I wanted to do truly meaningful things to bring joy to them”. And in the eyes of the children when they were dressed in a pretty warm coat, we read joy, excitement and gratitude. Just like the speech of the Secretary of the Party cell Va Ga Vu: “Thank you for your heart in the Youth Union, you have brought joy and warmth to the village. We are very happy, it feels like Spring in Huoi Moi 1 has come earlier...”.

At noon, the mist and clouds cleared to give way to the sunlight. The young men and women of Huoi Moi 1 began to sing, sing and dance passionately. They wore colorful traditional costumes with many patterns and motifs showing the skillful hands of the weavers. The singing of the Mong girls was passionate, resonant and captivating. The sound of the panpipes of the boys sometimes echoed far away, sometimes softly like the sound of wild birds calling for their friends. Standing in the middle of the village with ancient sa mu houses, in the middle of the peach garden in full bloom, amidst the gentle singing and beside the Mong girls full of vitality, we seemed to have wandered into a Mong village right on a big festival day. It was the Spring festival, the whole village was jubilant with singing, with the charming game of throwing pao and indispensable cup of warm wine. The singing called the wild birds to join in the fun, called the white butterflies to spread their wings next to the blooming peach buds, called the warmth to spread throughout the village. Here, people and nature have a close harmony, people's hearts and the earth and sky seem to share the same rhythm - that is the rhythm of Spring.

On the top of Huoi Moi, the wind has eased the cold, the stream through the village has cooled down, the scent of the forest has begun to spread, the music of the forest has begun to play and people's hearts are filled with joy. Suddenly, a young girl sang the song "Spring has come to the Mong village" which was very suitable for the mood, the situation and the scene: "Look, the bright Spring is coming to the high mountains/ I raise my voice to the thousands of flowers to praise the joy of the mountain fields/ Peach blossoms are blooming, looking at the Spring is coming a le.../ The wind shuttle rhythmically carries the song/ The murmuring stream rustles the green rice fields/ Look, in the golden sunlight, the sound of the trumpet leaves is playing/ The sound of thousands of birds singing, the fresh Spring has come/ The branches of flowers flutter to welcome many songs/ The forest paths everywhere are fluttering/ Look, many wings are spread out to play with the flowers/ The wind and thousands of birds sing songs coming and going/ Ah! The bright Spring has come again/ I sing ca pi na aa ai do a ai do". Next are the songs "Meeting in the Dream Forest", "Em gai H'Mong"... with lively, cheerful melodies, reflecting the joy and excitement of Mong boys and girls when Spring comes.

Spring on Huoi Moi peak has its own rhythm and color that makes anyone who comes here feel nostalgic and passionate. It is time for the group to leave Huoi Moi 1 to return. The road ahead is arduous, but no one shows any concern, because they have contributed to bringing new warmth to the people in the border area.

Cong Kien