Fragrance of Dalat

In my perspective, Dalat is not limited to just four flower seasons. Within me, there's always a Dalat with its own fragrant seasons.

Fragrance of Dalat

Dalat, in my eyes, is beautiful in every season. Despite the common chatter about the city's changes, I find myself, like most of my colleagues, writers, and artists, always seeking to capture the soul of the streets, the aroma of the seasons in our works through our journeys.

Essence and Air of Dalat

Autumn in the highland town is truly different from autumn in the cold northern regions or in the lands of the people. Every time I return to Dalat, I always enjoy visiting the Tuyen Lam Lake area. Tuyen Lam Lake lies at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain at an altitude of 1,000m above sea level, covering an area of about 320ha, formed by the Da Trea stream (also known as Tia stream).

Due to its uneven terrain, this region where mountains and forests converge also features some fantastic 'island' resorts.

Visitors can rent motorboats for a spin around the lake. A few hours are just enough for you to check-in, snap a few selfie shots, not nearly enough time to truly see, let alone feel a land.

That's why I keep returning to this familiar land, and Tuyen Lam Lake is always my favorite destination.

Despite the onslaught of concrete resorts and real estate, this place still retains much of the essence and air of Dalat's nature with its towering green pines.

The wind still freely sweeps over the golden hillsides where wild sunflowers are in bloom. On the red dirt slopes, wild grasses grow abundantly, their delicate pink hues swaying in the breeze.

In a secluded corner of Tuyen Lam Lake, where a few boats are moored, are maple trees starting to change their leaf colors. I had to kayak with weary arms across the windy lake to reach the maple forest, following the guidance of my 'local' friend from Dalat.

As the lake narrows along my path, it feels like I'm journeying upstream to the source of the Tia stream. Just as we often say: the destination is not important, what matters is the journey. The so-called maple forest doesn't have as many maple trees as one might imagine; it's one of the 'man-made' tourist spots attracting visitors for photo shoots.

But the scenery along the lake's surface is unlike what we typically imagine about Dalat. Everything has its price, if you only pass by on a motorboat, you'll never feel the autumn scent on this lake.

Rarely do you see dense green pine hillsides, serving as a backdrop for the white reed stems submerged in water. Below the reeds are patches of flowering grass. Light pink, deep pink, purple, white... – I can't tell what kind of grass it is.

My boat gets stuck in a tangle of grass and moss, it takes me a while to break free. Suddenly, a wild scent fills the air, leaving me bewildered, wondering if my paddle just cut through some life?

From the grass, insects buzz up. A few water hens scurry off to find shelter. Where am I? The highlands or the vast plains of the Mekong Delta? The scent of water, the scent of pines blending with the scent of wild grass. The autumn scent of the highland city today feels so different.

Even the autumn sun feels different. Looking up, the sky is high, the sun bright, but just stepping into the shade of the trees, you immediately sense the season's breath. The gentle chill carried by the breeze from the lake to the shore, like someone's hand gently caressing your hair. But the winds, the lakes, the green and red leaves are not enough to usher the city into autumn.

Sunlight on the city streets of concrete differs from sunlight on the plateau where the breeze whispers through the grass. Yet even in the land known as the realm of flowers, now the sunlight has become constant. Flowers still bloom, trees still stand, hills and mountains remain, so is the sunlight gentler and more innocent here than in the urban glare? How many hues does sunlight have? How many colors does a rainbow possess, surely sunlight is similar?

Rainbows only emerge after the rain, when the earth and sky have risen from their union, hence the rainbow displays such a multitude of colors. But what about sunlight? Where does it come from? From the sun, piercing through clouds, traversing through wind, traversing through the vast universe, hence sunlight bears many shades and nuances.

One winter day wandering on a deserted slope, stumbled upon sunlight at my feet. Soft golden sunlight gently brushed through the pine trees, bathing the grass. Sunlight borrowed the white hue of the slender branches to dye itself. And sunlight red. A vibrant hue of love, brimming with life. Embodied in elliptical leaves, diamond-shaped leaves, trapezoidal leaves, the eyes of leaves carrying the smile of crimson sunlight.

Rare is the tree whose leaves are flowers, flowers are leaves likewise. Nor are there many species where leaves or flowers undergo mystical color transformations throughout their survival on this earthly realm. Tiny green leaves, budding from the trunk, gradually tinted red by the sun, turning into deep red, shifting to purple, and then like a cycle, returning to green.

From oval shapes transitioning to diamond shapes with pointed tips. Sometimes twisting like sails filled with wind, also transitioning to sharp angles of a trapezoid or softly with folds.

Thousands of leaves hanging in clusters like bright red stars on the white trunk emitting fragrance – the fragrance of Trạng Nguyên. The color of sunlight within leaves and the color of leaves within sunlight. There is a Dalat, winter steeped in leaves. Let me steep sunlight in my heart.

As per Trần Thùy Linh/Tuổi trẻ

***

Reference: Travel guide Mytour