Lotus seasons

Back then, my siblings would only pick a few lotus buds to put in a vase on their study desk, while they spent their time rowing boats around the pond, searching for relatively mature lotus pods containing seeds to boil and eat.

I don't remember how long I lived in that riverside area with its lotus ponds before returning to my hometown. But in my memories of my "journey to the South" as I grew up, only the impressive pink lotus buds of Dong Thap Muoi remain, always evoking cherished memories of a distant past.

Later, when I read the poem "The Most Beautiful" by Bao Dinh Giang, a revolutionary poet living in the Southern region, which had the line: "The most beautiful lotus flower is in Thap Muoi / The most beautiful name in Vietnam is Uncle Ho…", I felt happy because I had once left my footprints in that riverside region. The poem has four lines, but people only mentioned the first two, and for a time, it was mistakenly thought to be a folk song.

Later in school, I remember my teacher once assigned an exercise to analyze the folk poem "What is more beautiful than the lotus in the pond? Green leaves, white blossoms, and yellow stamens intertwined. Yellow stamens, white blossoms, green leaves. Close to the mud, yet without the foul smell of mud."

My classmates and I were all racking our brains trying to write the best possible essay. The difficulty lay in the fact that while everyone could appreciate the beauty of the lotus flower, and the poem had captured it quite fully and affirmed it right from the opening line, not everyone could analyze the deeper, more nuanced meaning of the folk song sufficiently and concisely.

The lotus is a rustic flower, grown everywhere from North to South Vietnam, with white and pink varieties being the most common. Although it grows from mud, the lotus flower possesses an elegant and gentle appearance, emitting a fragrant, pure scent, embodying the character of a gentleman and the kindness and purity of a soul untouched by worldly concerns. It is this noble and serene beauty that led the people to choose the lotus as their national flower. Although not yet officially recognized by the State, the people have already embraced it.

I recall an unforgettable experience. It was 2011, when photographer Tran Bich from Khanh Hoa contacted me, asking me to connect him with the Gia Lai Newspaper Editorial Board to organize an exhibition on the theme of lotus flowers in Pleiku City. After the exhibition, he would use the proceeds from the sale of the paintings for local charity. Having a love for lotus flowers, I presented this idea to the Editorial Board, and they approved it.

Mr. Doan Minh Phung, then Editor-in-Chief of Gia Lai Newspaper, directly discussed with Mr. Tran Bich and agreed on a plan to coordinate the organization of the "Life of the Lotus" exhibition. This was the first art photography exhibition on the theme of lotus flowers in Gia Lai province, and it was well received. The exhibition, held on the ground floor of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai apartment building, presented 50 artistic photographs about the life of the lotus flower to the public.

Many times, during the lotus blooming season, I have visited Lang Sen, President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace. The lotus ponds along the road from Nam Dan to Kim Lien, in full bloom, emit a fragrant aroma, creating a peaceful and serene rural atmosphere. Many varieties of lotus have been brought to Lang Sen, creating diversity and a pure beauty that gives pilgrims visiting President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace a feeling of friendliness and tranquility.

In Gia Lai, in many places like Pleiku, Phu Thien, and Dak Doa, people have utilized ponds and lakes to cultivate lotus, both to serve tourists and to sell processed products made from this plant. I was impressed by the lotus field in Ia Yeng commune (Phu Thien district), covering 15 hectares and stretching across a flat area. This season, the vibrant pink lotus flowers (a type of hundred-petaled lotus) bloom beautifully against the blue sky, enhancing the peaceful beauty of this prosperous countryside.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/nhung-mua-sen-post325543.html