Spring days, plum blossoms bloom white in Phieng Canh village

Spring in Paradise

I have been in Moc Chau for 40 days now, out of 45 days in Moc Chau. Not because I am addicted, but because it is too cold, I cannot continue moving. I have been staying in Moc Chau for a long time, spring has come and Tet is coming, so I will stay longer.

On the 40th day, I woke up next to the Thai stilt house, wearing a red dress, a traditional Mong scarf tied on my head, but not made in this land, but bought in Ha Giang, and then I rode my old motorbike around the villages of Moc Chau.

They say the most beautiful road is the one you get lost on. And I am like a traveler who doesn’t know where to stop. Not knowing where to go tomorrow, just walking out onto the street, following my feelings and randomly choosing a path.

One day, I got lost in Phieng Canh village. Outside the stadium, the Mong people gathered in large numbers. They wore bright red traditional dresses and bright necklaces, playing their traditional games such as: Tu lu, throwing pao, tug of war, and occasionally performing arts.

The Hmong girls danced very flexibly. They swayed to the music, turning left and right. I didn’t know the name of the song, but the rhythm was really good.

The Mong boys stepped up to show off their flute playing skills. The gentle sound of the flute echoed across the Moc Chau plateau, across the fields, through the Mong wooden houses to find a mate.

Plum blossoms are white in Phieng Canh village

Phieng Canh is probably a strange place to many people. Because when coming to Moc Chau, tourists often just wander around Pa Phach, Dai Yem waterfall, Na Ka Plum Valley and then go back to avoid missing the night bus. But if you have more time, please visit Phieng Canh, because from winter to spring, the plum blossoms here bloom white in the sky.

Along the roads leading to Phieng Canh village, plum trees spread their canopies. Plum flowers are thin and pure white, they often grow in clusters and have many flowers clustered together. Plum trees are usually quite tall, some are 4m tall, others are up to 15m tall.

Passing through the villages of Phieng Canh, I often saw the Hmong children with extremely cute gestures. They climbed up the plum branches, tilted their heads, raised their hands in a V shape to pose for me to take pictures. They took pictures because they liked it, not for any other reason.

Plum blossoms were blooming white all over the streets and around the houses of the Mong people. I was tired and staggered into a nearby house. The women were sitting there embroidering dresses for their children. They held needles, pierced the linen fabric that had been carefully painted with beeswax, and then embroidered the most delicate patterns. The old Mong woman told me: In the spring, when you have free time, you should embroider. Normally, you are busy working in the fields and don’t have time.

With the old car, I continued to get lost somewhere in Phieng Canh, I don’t remember clearly. I only remember that there was a cool green tea hill. Plum trees also grew among the tea hill. The sun shone through the tea garden and the plum branches. The plum blossoms suddenly changed color, from pure white to a shimmering pink. I sat there, quietly on the tea hill, listening to the rustling wind. The chirping of birds.

Someone once explained to me the meaning of plum blossoms: It represents warmth, togetherness and reunion. It also represents the completeness of relationships, including love, family, and friends. In the spring, plum blossoms bloom white in Phieng Canh village. Young men and women go looking for lovers, or mothers and grandmothers sit embroidering clothes for their families next to the wooden house frame. Perhaps, that meaning is indeed very true.

Xu Kien