Nha Trang is so strange!

Nha Trang – it's not just a place, it's a place of love. The city has expanded into many urban areas, with numerous roads leading into it. These roads are ablaze with colorful flowers, welcoming visitors.

There, we, whether born and raised in this land or having chosen Nha Trang as our place of residence, all love this city in a unique way. The city has only two seasons, rainy and sunny, but one of them is a season of love. Facing east, as the sun begins to greet the new day, rising from the Hon Tre mountain range, the city's inhabitants come out to sea to welcome the city.

Nha Trang is so strange. You might think it's just the six-way intersection with the lotus-shaped roundabout that changes color at night, or the familiar slope leading up to Nha Trang Cathedral, or suddenly remembering it's been a long time since you went to Hon Chong. Then there's the text message asking, "Shall we meet this afternoon?" The restaurants you frequent become familiar, like Lac Canh with its grilled beef and Ninh Hoa spring rolls, whose flavors linger in your mind after a long absence. Simple dishes like banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancake), banh can (Vietnamese steamed rice cake), and fish noodle soup have now found their way to restaurants. Even the way you enjoy coffee has changed; you prefer filter coffee, watching each drop fall into the cup, brewing it to your own liking.

Nha Trang's beaches always beckon tourists.

One day, due to studying far away or work, we left the city. Returning home, on the bus or any means of transportation, we always yearn to meet again. Memories from our past resurface like a slow-motion film. Because our memories are rooted in that place, with all its joys and sorrows, from childhood to the present day as we enter adulthood. Sometimes, a memory is just a coffee shop that has changed owners, a rainy day spent at a bookstore, or perhaps a day when the street suddenly becomes romantic because the banyan trees are shedding their leaves. Returning home, we excitedly text our friends: "Let's meet up!" Time flies by, and the city has already passed its hundredth anniversary.

Perhaps we would remain there, oblivious to the trees silently growing along the roadside, oblivious to the newly built houses… We all live in a city, we live on a street, in our neighborhood we have neighbors. Perhaps our place of residence is merely a coincidence in our journey of making a living, or perhaps it's the land that holds childhood memories, the moss-covered roof tiles that come with the rainy season, the old tamarind tree that grows taller each year despite the changing seasons. We grew up there, experienced joy and sorrow there, had friends there, and first love there. The change of all things is inevitable; our city changes with the flow of urban development. We still walk the familiar streets every day, and we feel proud when someone asks us where we live.

That's the home where we first cried upon entering the world. It might just have been a rented place during our youth, a cramped room tucked away in a small alley, surrounded by strangers who had randomly gathered there.

That city has streets marked by memories. Streets shaded by lush greenery, rows of trees bearing names like: Lim xet, Sao den, Hoang yen, or simply century-old mahogany trees. The city has a beach with sandy shores stretching out to listen to the waves, millions of footprints imprinted on that sand, some of which have faded away after being left behind by the crashing waves. The city is not just a name, but our memories. The city is not just about rainy and sunny days, but also about staying and disappearing. There, we walk the streets every day, seeing the rows of trees that were planted along the roadside just days ago, now growing taller. We unexpectedly stop at a traffic light intersection and encounter an acquaintance, even though we live in the same city, yet we meet for the first time. We love the days when theaters still showed Indian and Hong Kong films, showing them continuously (meaning they showed one film after another, and you could buy tickets at any time). Back then, theaters would hand out flyers introducing the film's content and featuring images of the actors, which people could take home as souvenirs.

My friend and I have loved this city since way back when. And if you've lived here since the days when you could ride a bicycle from Nha Trang to Thanh Hoa, you'll understand. It's a memory of change, even though the waves still crash against the shore every day, and the sun still rises from behind the mountains every morning.

Nha Trang is truly unique. In Nha Trang, you don't reserve seats at the train station, you smile at strangers. In Nha Trang, when you stop at a traffic light at an intersection and see a homeless person waiting to sell a lottery ticket or a packet of toothpicks, you don't rush off but stop to buy something to bring them joy…

KHUE VIET TRUONG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/nha-trang-ky-uc-va-khat-vong/202410/nha-trang-ky-la-lam-b5e6463/