Winter musings

Frost appeared on the summit of Mau Son mountain on the morning of January 22nd.

Autumn in this land arrives and departs very gently, just a slight breeze, a touch of lemon-yellow sunlight, a gentle falling of flowers and leaves, a hint of the fragrant scent of milkweed... after that delicate transition, a whole winter follows!

While the entire Northeast region enters winter, and people in many provinces are still lightly clothed, the people of Lang Son are already experiencing their first winter. On a crisp early winter morning, even with bright sunshine, a thick coat isn't enough to keep warm; hands rub together, lips tremble, and breaths in the chill... It's only the beginning of winter, but the cold penetrates deeply. Goosebumps, not having time to adapt, quickly appear on the arms, and even wrapped tightly in warm clothes and scarves, breath still comes out in puffs...

Winter brings bone-chilling cold, temperatures plummeting, a chill nurtured in the mountains and nights, waiting for the opportune moment to burst forth and spread rapidly through the air. The biting cold sweeps in, creeping into every nook and cranny. Even the most hot and stuffy summer homes, seemingly impenetrable, are swept by the biting wind in winter. The icy chill skillfully penetrates every alleyway, leaving children, even those running and playing outdoors, with red, swollen feet and runny noses, and elderly women shivering and hunching over as they walk…

The cold makes the days in Lang Son seem shorter; by 4:30 PM, it's already getting dark. Nighttime food stalls are already lighting up their fires. Specialty winter foods and drinks are abundant on the sidewalks. The sweet aroma of sugar, the spicy, warming taste of ginger, the rich flavor of fried rice cakes sizzling in the oil… all contribute to the unique atmosphere of Lang Son's winter. To ward off the chill, large bonfires are hastily lit, blazing on the sidewalks. Whether locals or tourists , acquaintances or strangers, they are all open, friendly, and gather around to warm themselves…

Deep in winter, frost freezes into tiny, white crystals, like grains of salt, clinging thickly to the ground, to the branches and the budding flowers. I've lived here long enough to understand the changing seasons and the arrival of cold. The last days of the year, the deep winter days, are also the most idyllic and poetic. I sit beside a cup of fragrant tea, savoring the sweet chill. I remember the winter chills of my childhood. My childhood was filled with tending buffaloes and flying kites. When winter came, the rice fields were left with only dry stubble, tiny morning frost clinging to the stalks of rice plants and the curled cabbages… we would lie flat on the ground, gazing at the thin, squishy mist, watching our friends' little feet running and playing on it with delight… Even though we sweated, our noses were still bright red, and whenever we stopped playing or running, the cold wind would blow, cooling our faces and heads…

There are days of pleasantly cold weather, when the entire sky freezes over, and on peaks over 1,000 meters high, snowflakes fall gently on the pristine white ice.

Despite the biting cold, no one is afraid; they still want to come, still crave the chill of this land as much as they crave the fragrant, rich flavor of roasted duck. On days when the peak of Mau Son is covered in a blanket of snow and ice, groups of tourists from within and outside the province still flock to admire the wonder of nature. They frolic on the white ice, boldly stripping off their thick coats to show off their bare backs, defying the cold… Winter in Lang Son has its own unique flavors; how delightful it is to shiver from the cold while sipping hot tea, savoring a glass of local liquor with its faint aroma of wood smoke… all these feelings are present and eagerly awaited. People wait so that when the season arrives, they can still gather around the crackling fire to warm themselves…

Source: https://baolangson.vn/tan-man-mua-dong-5073814.html