Riding a buffalo to relive childhood memories.

Amidst a summer vacation often filled with smartphones and air conditioning, there's a seemingly simple "service" that's captivating both adults and children: riding buffaloes to relive childhood memories.

Lead the buffaloes and guide tourists on how to ride them.

There are countless ordinary moments in the bustling city when one suddenly remembers the sound of buffalo bells, the scent of fragrant straw on the back of a sweat-soaked shirt, and the village road dotted with golden sunlight where barefoot children once played with their friends.

The locals' radiant smiles as they welcomed the tourists.

When memories seem to have faded away, there's a place that holds them back: the Sinh Duoc Cooperative (Gia Sinh commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province). Here, buffaloes are considered friends of the people, the land, and childhood memories. Climbing onto a buffalo's back, strolling leisurely through the meadows, listening to the buzzing of cicadas, and smelling the fresh straw in the summer sun... simple yet evoking a multitude of emotions.

Enthusiastically guiding the "shepherds".

I arrived at Sinh Duoc on a clear morning. The weather was mild, as if a night's rain had just passed, the ground was softer and more moist, and the green grass stretched out like a welcoming carpet. Large buffaloes, their backs glistening, were leisurely grazing in the vast fields. A herd of ten, including buffaloes and calves, grazed peacefully and calmly.

Tourists, adults and children alike, who wish to ride buffaloes will be led to the fields by local guides who will tell them the story beforehand. They'll explain that each buffalo and calf here has a name. The cooperative assigns villagers to take meticulous care of them, ensuring they eat clean food, live in clean conditions, and are very "friendly" to people.

The countryside scene is peaceful and familiar.

That's why the cooperative's yard is always piled high with huge haystacks, not for the sake of visual appeal or for visitors to enjoy, but as a food reserve for the buffaloes, especially in winter when the grass in the fields withers.

Haystacks at the cooperative.

The "buffalo riding service" actually arose quite by chance, and is not a business idea or aimed at profit. It simply stemmed from a few idle domestic buffaloes that some cheerful farmers came up with to please tourists visiting Ninh Binh by allowing them to enjoy buffalo riding.

When tourists ride buffaloes, there are always people closely supervising to ensure their safety.

Touched by the sunny weather, the cooperative members enthusiastically shared stories, provided guidance, ensured safety, and even offered costumes and props... tourists gave them a small amount of money as a token of gratitude.

Being hospitable, visitors are allowed to ride the buffalo for as long as they like; the locals never rush them about the time, because for them, it's also a joy to share and spread the beauty of the countryside.

After a short time, the children became familiar with the buffaloes and were very confident.

Gentle buffaloes, cheerful locals, and even helpful people taking photos and videos for social media – just like at a tourist resort… suddenly, in the middle of the countryside, there's a new, rustic destination that attracts just as many visitors as a homestay.

Sitting on the buffalo's back, holding the rope, the feeling of riding a buffalo is like touching upon a realm of memories. The cooperative's buffaloes are domesticated and understand their herders' intentions. When a visitor gently pats its back, the buffalo patiently lifts its leg, slowly carrying the tourist along the edge of the rice fields.

Costumes and "props" should be appropriate for the setting.

Underfoot, the clumps of wild ginger, a medicinal plant cultivated and harvested by the cooperative, are blooming with vibrant yellow flowers, like a carpet of sunlight falling from the sky, spreading across the lush green grass.

A gentle breeze sweeps across the fields, carrying the delicate scent of rice, a hint of the sweet, wholesome flavor of the land and the harvest. High above, white clouds drift lazily, playfully frolicking like tireless children, sunlight filtering through the clouds, painting the earth a soft, warm golden hue.

These "Instagrammable" moments attract the interest of tourists.

In the distance, the azure mountain ranges are shrouded in mist like a watercolor painting, embracing the winding river that flows silently through lush green fields. The blue of the sky, the grass, the river, and the mountains blend with the yellow of wildflowers, creating a gentle, pristine summer scene characteristic of Ninh Binh that stirs the heart, evoking a feeling of returning to childhood.

The innocent, adorable look of a newborn calf.

Without needing high-tech games or faraway trips, here visitors can revisit memories or share memories with each other.

Parents tell their children about childhoods that may have been forgotten, now suddenly resurfacing in their entirety with the sound of buffaloes snorting, the smell of fresh mud clinging to their heels, the feeling of their shirts soaked with sweat yet their hearts feeling light.

The cooperative's herd of buffaloes are tame and "hospitable".

City children are excited, delighted, and cheer when they get to sit on a buffalo, holding a bundle of grass and pretending to urge it on, "Go faster!", while their parents smile, sometimes with tears in their eyes...

The cooperative's support team always has someone closely supervising the buffaloes, while others stand at a distance, recording every moment and ensuring the safety of each visitor.

The buffaloes were given a refreshing bath by the villagers.

Mr. Vu Trung Duc, head of the Sinh Duoc Cooperative, shared his joy at the increasing number of visitors coming to ride buffaloes: "Initially, the villagers simply thought it was for the children to ride buffaloes for fun, but unexpectedly, tourists found it strange and interesting and asked to try it. Gradually, one person invited another, and one group spread the word to another, so every weekend or summer holiday, the village is crowded with visitors."

Anh Duc recounted emotionally, "Watching the children smiling brightly on the backs of the buffaloes, and the adults saying, 'It's been a long time since we've felt this way,' he and the villagers shared in the joy. Everyone in the village was thrilled to see their hometown being loved. Many visitors returned, some even bringing their whole families back."

Having completed its "task" of letting customers ride it, the buffalo leisurely returns to its stable.

Returning from the buffaloes' backs, a long line of tourists sits by the edge of the rice fields. Their eyes still linger on the image of the buffaloes, their ears still hear the laughter of children. So many memories are difficult to put into words, only felt with the throbbing heartbeat amidst the rice paddies.

Leaving that place, one doesn't feel like leaving a game or an experience, but rather a part of a simple, rustic memory. Everyone wants to carry with them the scent of the countryside, the hoof prints of buffaloes in the fields, and the friendly, lingering turn of the buffaloes' heads, like a farewell, a promise.

On their journey to rediscover what seemed to be long gone, people from afar suddenly understand that childhood is not left behind, but seems to be waiting for us to return, on the back of a buffalo, under the gentle and expansive sky of their homeland.

MAI LU

Source: https://nhandan.vn/cuoi-trau-tim-ve-tuoi-tho-post889709.html