Da Lat - Meeting and Saying Goodbye

In mid-spring, the wildflowers and cherry blossoms are gone, replaced by rows of jacaranda trees blooming profusely along the city streets.

For 30 years, usually in early summer and late winter, I've been teaching and grading exams in Da Lat. My first trip was by bus, then by plane, from ATR 72, Fokker 70 to Airbus A321 – I can't even remember how many flights I've taken. This trip, in mid-March, felt like a farewell. The Faculty of Literature and History at Da Lat University kindly collaborated with the Faculty of Education to organize two exchange sessions for me with faculty and students on the theme "Memories and Aspirations for the School."

Đà Lạt - gặp gỡ và chia tay - Ảnh 1. — Da Lat University campus

My first encounter with Da Lat.

This trip felt completely different from previous ones. Sitting on the plane, looking down at the distant valley shrouded in mountain mist, with a stream flowing peacefully through forests that are stubbornly resisting the pace of urbanization, memories flooded back of my childhood, the first time I encountered Da Lat.

It was 1972, the year of fierce battles during the "Summer of Red Fire." At 17, I had just passed the first part of my high school exams and was granted a deferment from military service for educational reasons, enjoying leisurely days while waiting to start 12th grade. My uncle, Le Anh Tuan, who worked at Tri Dang Publishing House, bought me a copy of Nguyen Dinh Toan's novel "Recess Time." The book tells the story of Thuc, a high school girl who had also just passed her exams. Her family allowed her to join a group of friends on a trip to Da Lat, and she became captivated by the beauty of the highland city, creating unforgettable memories that unfolded in those short days, fleeting like moments spent in the playground between school hours.

Đà Lạt - gặp gỡ và chia tay - Ảnh 2. — The author first visited Da Lat in 1972.

Borrowing the words of the narrator, Nguyen Dinh Toan wrote a truly evocative passage: "Standing on the mountain slopes overlooking a whole forest of plum and mulberry trees with sparse branches, I had the feeling that spring was hiding somewhere, only to be revealed by a single day, a gentle breeze, in the form of tender buds and blossoms. The best thing about Da Lat is the weather, which makes one tireless. The air becomes a nourishing nectar, and we swam in that sea of nectar. On some afternoons, the golden sun shone on the distant forests, making it seem as if all the leaves had turned into flowers. There were also days when the sky suddenly turned rainy, the rain lowering the sky, and we hurriedly paddled our boat across the lake to return to shore because we had gone too far out, but sometimes we sat for a long time in the cafe, and the rain still hadn't fallen. The lake's surface was like a mirror reflecting the beauty of Da Lat…"

Hearing me say how captivating Da Lat was and how much I wished I could visit, my uncle generously rewarded me with a trip I'd never forget. That year, the Saigon-Da Lat road wasn't very smooth, so we bought tickets for a Traction bus, a small passenger vehicle like a taxi, thinking it would be safer than a regular bus if we encountered bumpy roads (!). As the bus passed the Bao Loc pass, I was stunned by a magical sight I'd never seen before: on both sides of the road were lotus ponds, rows of flamboyant trees, and vegetable gardens stretching as far as the eye could see. As we climbed higher towards the Prenn pass, the bus traveled through pine forests, the cool weather seeping into my skin and filling my heart with an indescribable feeling of excitement.

Reunion with Da Lat

Yet it wasn't until 23 years later that I had the chance to reconnect with Da Lat. In 1995, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education and the Ho Chi Minh City University of General Studies (now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Natural Sciences - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) jointly opened two postgraduate literature programs at the College of Education and Da Lat University. Through this collaboration, I became acquainted with the literature teachers there, who later made significant contributions to literary research and teaching.

Đà Lạt - gặp gỡ và chia tay - Ảnh 3. — The author, in 2024, drank coffee at Thuy Ta Cafe when returning to Da Lat.

That year, having just been elected Head of the Faculty of Literature and Journalism, I felt I had to contribute to the successful organization of the postgraduate program, whose students were primarily lecturers from the Faculty of Literature at Da Lat University. I invited renowned senior professors who, undeterred by the long distances and often traveling by bus, came to teach and supervise theses: Professors Hoang Nhu Mai, Le Tri Vien, Le Dinh Ky, Nguyen Van Hanh, Nguyen Dang Manh, Tran Thanh Dam, Luong Duy Thu, Mai Cao Chuong, Tran Huu Ta, Hoang Huu Yen, Nguyen Loc, Chu Xuan Dien, Le Ngoc Tra… At the end of the course, the entire class defended their theses with outstanding results, many went on to pursue doctoral degrees and take on the responsibility of training new generations of students. Dr. Le Hong Phong, former Vice Rector of Da Lat University, wrote an article recounting the touching memories of those early days.

During a get-together in the school's new lecture hall in March of this year, before showing old photos I took in Da Lat 53 years ago, I played the song "Memories" by Pham Duy, sung by Thai Thanh, for the professors and students. I said that Da Lat is not just a place to stop by; Da Lat is a quiet space where we can hear the voice of memories amidst the hurried pace of life.

A bond of affection spanning 30 years.

Every time I come to this city, I sit alone at Thuy Ta coffee shop to write a few pages, listen to music in the cozy Old House tea room, and return to the quiet guesthouse of the school in the evening, always filled with the scent of fragrant grass, pine resin, and the sound of falling dry leaves in the stillness. Feeling so fortunate compared to the teachers and older brothers who were once connected to this city but haven't had the chance to return, I often send postcards of Da Lat to Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Hoang Ngoc Bien, and Dang Tien who are far away.

The reunion was filled with young people in their twenties, brimming with aspirations. Gone are the days of students from previous years' classes, who had traveled from Nha Trang, Phan Rang, Tuy Hoa, Buon Don, Bao Loc, Di Linh, Don Duong, Lam Ha, Duc Trong… overcoming countless hardships to come here for presentations, final exams, and bound theses. Busy with schoolwork, new curricula, new textbooks, and the struggles of making a living, they suddenly recall their old classes. Did they ever smile at a remark in a lecture, or frown in displeasure at a harsh comment or a strict grade?

Đà Lạt - gặp gỡ và chia tay - Ảnh 4. — An exchange program with lecturers and students from the Faculty of Literature and History, and the Faculty of Education, Da Lat University, will take place in mid-March 2025.

You – those who are coming and those who will come. We – those who are gradually passing through the endless parade of time. And what is past is past forever. This time I will no longer meet my dear colleagues who once worked together here, who conversed and shared concerns about literature and current events: Lê Chí Dũng, Phạm Quốc Ca, Nguyễn Khắc Huấn, Cao Thế Trình, Lê Đình Bá, Nguyễn Tuấn Tài… So much gratitude left behind over 30 years of collaboration with 5 principals and 6 heads of departments.

Before bidding farewell to Da Lat, two of my former students took me on a tour along the railway line from Da Lat station to Trai Mat station on a late afternoon in the bright sunshine, and then to visit the Pine Forest of Dreams on a clear morning, where the gentle beauty of old Da Lat still lingers. I think that whether Da Lat remains the name of a city or just a ward tomorrow, this land, the land of Dat Aliis Laetitiam Aliis Temperiem (Giving joy to some, freshness to others) that A. Yersin discovered, will remain an eternal image deeply ingrained in the minds of those who have carried memories on their footsteps as they walked through here.

Bidding farewell to Da Lat on a pleasantly sunny day, I didn't throw a single coin into Xuan Huong Lake, but I knew I would return someday.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/da-lat-gap-go-va-chia-tay-185250326104057242.htm