Spring Flower Street

For years, I've loved both the city and the countryside, visiting many beautiful places that have only deepened my love for my village, the simple village that has drunk from the cool waters of the Ma and Chu rivers for so many years... These are beautiful villages, with their rustic, poetic names, intertwined with the destiny of the nation. Today, the spring sunshine beckons me back, to the vibrant spring flower-lined road. The road shines brightly under the golden sun, brimming with life. Flowers display their colors from the main road leading into the village. A stretch of purple flowers, extending for a kilometer, is full of life, like a slice of the purple river winding through the delta. At the village gate, the road splits into three smaller branches, forming a beautiful intersection with the village gate, ancient trees, and flowers.

Photo: TL

The villagers inherited the gentle and refined nature of their ancestors, living virtuously and generously. Even more beautiful is the mural painted on the walls from the village gate to the end of the lane, creating an impressive and whimsical scene. There are depictions of festivals, production activities, daily life, and the promotion of a new way of life. There are also images of agricultural products like pumpkins, gourds, and vegetable patches... in vibrant colors. These walls are no longer just walls; they have a life of their own, conveying messages of prosperity and peace. On each low fence, the villagers plant evergreen trees. Hundreds of large pots of bougainvillea and roses are neatly arranged along the village paths. Here, young people stand to take pictures. There, a few elderly people sit around a chessboard, or bright-faced children sit on swings, swaying gently.

My mother said our village has a dreamlike, beautiful road. For over a year, the villagers have been determined to transform it into a truly livable place. Many successful people who have moved away have contributed to the village's development. Those who remain have also contributed their labor and resources. The hardworking hands of the villagers, who have nurtured the land through countless sun and rain to create bountiful harvests, are now tending to each flower and garden corner. Flowers offer the village and its people fragrance and beauty. Flowers bring people closer together.

Photo: TL

Thanh Hoa province has many beautiful villages. I've visited many villages near historical sites during the spring season. Ha Linh is a mountainous commune in Ha Trung district that is rapidly developing and becoming more vibrant. Through many ups and downs, Ha Linh is a rare village that still preserves precious traditional cultural values, naturally and simply. Tien Hoa is a special village in Thanh Hoa with a long history, possessing many historical, cultural, and archaeological values. From ancient times, the inhabitants of Tien Hoa village have used the mountains and hills as a base to settle, moving from low to high altitudes with a settlement structure of "lanes" (shortcuts). Twelve lanes ascend in steps, each beginning with a single path leading up the slope of the hills and mountains. The walls, built of fired bricks and stone, have been covered in moss over time, and the ancient village communal houses are hundreds of years old... The villages of Nguyet Vien (Thanh Hoa City), Phuong Khe (Trieu Son), Co Bon (Dong Son), Bien Thuong (Vinh Loc)... all share a common tradition of valuing education. I was fascinated when visiting these communal houses, still standing amidst the flow of life, continuously accumulating humanistic values. Among the hundreds of communal house relics existing in the villages of Thanh Hoa province, each relic not only possesses unique characteristics and architectural beauty, but also preserves stories connected to historical traditions, cultural customs, and the dedication of our ancestors in building their homeland.

Photo: TL

Each villager has their own way of preserving cultural beauty, ensuring the village space remains vibrant. I suddenly thought that the roads leading to the villages need more trees and flowers to further beautify people's lives. For many years in the village, I've lived in a warm, simple, and close-knit environment. I'm truly proud to see my hometown become so livable and poetic. Of course, the beauty of the village didn't come about spontaneously, but is thanks to the aspirations of each of its people. In this tender spring, I offer my village the most vibrant bouquet of flowers. I believe everyone has their own way of offering flowers to their village. Then, the roads leading to the villages will all be roads of spring.

Essays by Nguyen Van Hoc

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/duong-hoa-xuan-237950.htm