Buzz
When thinking of the Dong Van Plateau (Ha Giang), one immediately thinks of pointed mountains and gray rocks. Few venture off the Happiness Road to see that on that plateau, there are also glimpses of the blue sky.
I remember the year 2008 when sitting on the year-end bus to Dong Van market, I took the phone number of a border guard at Bach Dich but never had the chance to visit.
The day I realized the dream of Bach Dich, the soldier had long left the outpost. The phone number was no longer reachable. As time passes, only the mountains remain etched against the sky, terraced fields lush with life, and the roads homeward bound are enchanting.
Once again, I find myself soaring in wild dreams.
The path to milestone 358
Countless times, I stand on the Happiness Road, gazing down at the winding path to Bach Dich, telling myself, telling my closest companion, there will surely come a day...
That day has arrived today. Passing a bend, climbing halfway up the hill, suddenly there's a crossroad. Heading west, towards Bach Dich, where milestone 358 lies on the Vietnam-China border.
Bach Dich Border Post, much like Xin Man Border Post (Ha Giang), Trinh Tuong, or Pha Long (Lao Cai), sits atop a high mountain peak overlooking magnificent landscapes, majestic mountains, azure skies, warm yellow lime-washed houses, neatly swept volleyball courts, and orderly flower beds...
I blurted out to Political Officer Anh Minh how strange it feels that all border posts seem alike!
Every time I look up at the slogan “The post is home, the border is homeland, fellow ethnic people are brothers and sisters,” I feel a lump in my throat. There's a kind of emotion that cannot be severed, and truly, I never want to sever that emotional connection.
Speaking about many people wanting to visit Bach Dich border gate, to see milestone 358 (often called milestone 9), attend the border gate market on Monkey or Tiger days every month, Anh Minh mentioned that there are no regulations preventing or restricting people from visiting the deep border areas for tourism or work purposes.
However, to ensure security and provide timely assistance when needed, the station requires residents from other places coming here to report to the station about themselves, their journey, and their purpose.
Anh Minh bids us farewell with a warm smile and the belief in two girls who love Ha Giang as their second home, individuals who surely never say 'will not return to this land'.
The sky over Bach Dich, sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy. Misty clouds rise and fall. “The station is home” remains behind us, ahead of us is the path to milestone 9.
Muong village market convenes right on the highway, bamboo columns supporting tarps stretch out to the middle of the road. Seeing our car approaching, each merchant, whether Tày, Nùng, Dao, Cơ Lao, Mông, or Hán, halts their sales to clear the way for our vehicle.
A young Mông man who just purchased several piglets enthusiastically showcases them to his friend in the middle of the road, then swiftly departs, while others fold up their motorbikes. Just these minor acts of kindness made us feel truly warmed.
The road to milestone 9 stretches out gracefully. Behind us lie pine forests swaying in the wind, vast grassy hills, and picturesque villages nestled in the rocky mountains. Only those who have traversed and fallen in love with this frontier land understand why the long and rugged border roads always harbor a mysterious allure for travelers.
On non-market days at the border, there are no new dresses or floral shirts, no vibrant scarves. The locals stay away from the market today, leaving the red-roofed stalls silent, devoid of the sounds of cooking pots bubbling, the sizzle of frying fat, the grunts of pigs, and the hustle and bustle of people.
I stand silently gazing at the granite milestone still wet from the rain, around the border checkpoint, scattered wooden bricks, no precise physical boundary fences, but on the other side lies our neighbor.
To erect this milestone, for us today, surely many have fallen…
A corner of the sky painted blue
Farewell to milestone 358 on a rainy and deserted day, we continue our journey on the border road towards Phu Lung then looping through Thang Mo, Sung Chang, Sung Thai, a series of villages deep in the mountains, far from the happy 4C road.
It's rare these days to rediscover the feeling of being alone on a solitary road. No trucks, no motorcycles, no groups here and there. Occasionally encountering ethnic minorities going in the opposite direction. Serene amidst the earth and sky, amidst the grass and mountains.
To the west of the rocky plateau, lush green rice covers the terraced fields, the rare valleys begin to turn yellow, the color of warmth and abundance. It's not only Mu Cang Chai that is mesmerized by rice, nor is it Dong Van where only rocks dominate.
Here, on the inter-communal road connecting Phu Lung to Thang Mo and Sung Chang, there is one, no, many corners of the sky painted blue with rugged mountains and endless rice fields. I reassure myself it's real, not a dream, there's a very different Ha Giang – both abundantly full and quietly dreamy.
The road suddenly bustles with children moving from home to the boarding school. They shyly cover their faces when they encounter unfamiliar guests eagerly holding cameras. I let go and ask aloud. A few bolder girls pass by and still turn back to answer.
Oh, it's the end of the weekend home visit, back to school tomorrow, because tomorrow is Monday.
I watch the crowd, imagining their footsteps resounding in my left chest, like the footsteps of children on the Ma Pi Leng Pass in a past spring.
There have been many seasons of love. Twenty more seasons of love upon return, am I certain I'll step as briskly as the man going to work in Thang Mo today?
According to Tuoi Tre Newspaper
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MytourOctober 19, 2016
