Plumeria

The day I first arrived in the coastal city, a friend who is a cultural officer told me that the coastal city has many beaches, many historical sites and famous scenic spots. But more special than that, there is a flower that many people consider the spiritual symbol of the coastal city, the frangipani.

My friend's introduction made me curious, and I paid close attention every time I went out. But to be honest, in the city center, it is rare to see frangipani, the flower that my friend considered the spiritual symbol of the city.

Later, I was fortunate to read the story The Legend of the Plumeria City published in a southern newspaper by a famous writer who was living and working in the coastal city. The story tells that once upon a time, in a small coastal fishing village, a strange disease suddenly appeared. The elderly who contracted the disease were considered to be near death.

In the village, there was a boy named Su, gentle, filial, brave, and intelligent. Su was the son of a fisherman whose parents suffered from this terrible disease. With all his love for his parents and the villagers, Su decided to go out to find a precious source of medicine to save his parents and the villagers who were suffering from this deadly disease.

The boy Su, regardless of hardships and difficulties, crossed mountains and forests, and was not afraid of wild animals, determined to find the magical medicinal plant to save his parents and villagers. Su traveled and traveled, but still could not find the precious medicine.

Until one day, the boy fell down a mountainside, exhausted. Suddenly, a white-haired and bearded Immortal appeared and gently told the boy, "You are a virtuous, filial, brave and resilient child. I will turn you into a magical medicinal plant to cure your parents and the villagers!"

Soon after, the boy Su transformed into a tree with a sturdy trunk, winding branches reaching up, thick and dark green leaves, blooming with many-petaled flowers in two colors, red and white, yellow pistils, pure fragrance filling the mountains and forests. The magical fragrance of this flower spread throughout the area, saving the lives of the boy's parents and the villagers, who were suffering from a strange disease.

To commemorate the boy’s merit, the villagers named this flower Frangipani, the boy’s name, which also means messenger of the gods. From then on, the Frangipani tree continued to sprout and grow into frangipani forests surrounding the mountainside, stretching along the beautiful, dreamy beaches… That place is the coastal city, the famous tourist center, Frangipani City.

The author's humane and chivalrous story about the city of Frangipani has inspired me to search for frangipani forests in the coastal city. Once, when visiting the Bach Dinh relic site, I was extremely surprised to stand in the middle of a giant frangipani forest located along the road leading up the hillside, surrounding the more than hundred-year-old Bach Dinh. Under the shade of the immense forest of frangipani trees, the magical pure fragrance of frangipani flowers blended in the air, giving people a refreshing, light and airy feeling, dispelling all the worries and hardships of everyday life.

After many years living in the coastal city, I have seen frangipani flowers blooming endlessly along famous tourist roads such as the road to the Lighthouse on Nho Mountain, Vi Ba road to Lon Mountain, the road to the Statue of Jesus with open arms, Quang Trung street, Ha Long street, Tran Phu street...

The coastal city has hundreds of ancient temples and pagodas, along with hundreds of years old villas, almost everywhere surrounded by ancient frangipani gardens. Frangipani flowers are also grown in bonsai pots, placed in the grounds of places of worship with spiritual significance...

In autumn, the frangipani flowers bloom, their gentle fragrance spreading faintly in the cool air of the city. Every time a breeze blows, the soft, fragile frangipani petals flutter in the wind. The beautiful and peaceful tourist city suddenly becomes as spectacular and magical as a fairyland.

Here and there, the silhouette of an old woman carrying a basket picking up the frangipani flowers that had just fallen to the ground. Once I asked her, “Grandma, why are you picking up frangipani flowers?” She told me that frangipani flowers are a valuable medicine for treating high blood pressure. Suddenly I remembered the story “The Legend of Frangipani City” by a famous writer in the coastal city. It turned out that the writer did not make up the miraculous effects of this special flower.

TRAN BINH

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/hoa-su-1037545/