Hai Duong Sea in the season of green moss
It takes about 30 minutes by car from Hue City to Canh Duong beach... On the day I went to the sea with my friends, the afternoon golden sunlight was like glistening honey over our heads. As it was spring, wildflowers were blooming along the way. The red cock’s comb, the ivory black-jack, and the daisy were all drenched in the golden afternoon sunlight.
During this season, the rice fields by the road have begun to turn green. The aroma of the rice fields merged with the scent of the land and the salty steam of the sea in the afternoon breeze. My friend drove slowly to enjoy the peaceful scenery along the way before being immersed in the scent of the sea and enjoying the green moss.
I still remember the voice of a man riding a bicycle past us who warned us as we struggled to park our motorbike by the green poplar forest: "The moss is very slippery, watch out or you’llfall". The advice of a stranger warmed my heart.
Suddenly I thought of my grandma. She would watch the children chasing each other on the sunny village pathway and called out: "Be careful, or you’ll fall." Her old voice raised while chewing betel nut echoing in the rustling sound of brooms sweeping on the country road somehow lingers in my mind until now.
According to local people, from the last month ofLunar calendar on, after long and cold rain, moss has begun to grow green on the embankments and rock banks along the coast. During the first two lunar months when it is still cold, the moss remains green.
For some reason, the patches of green moss covering the rocks and the rough concrete are strangely attractive. The soft, tender green that grows between the rocks despite the persistent crashing white waves makes me think about how wonderful life is. It seems that the moss also carries in them a strong vitality, despite the winter cold and the waves crashing against the rocks.
In the moss season, it is best to go to the sea at dawn or at sunset when the twilight has slowly fallen on the horizon. At the moment when the sunlight is gently scattered overhead, people can easily sit by the beach, enjoy watching the patches of soft and velvety green moss, breathe in the fresh air of the sea and listen to their beating hearts.
My friend said that returning to nature always makes people's hearts light as if we have just put a burden of anxiety off our shoulders. When sitting there, amidst the green moss, I suddenly felt my heart was as soft as the moss and as carefree as the waves overflowing the shore.
In the first two lunar months, the moss is still green, putting on a strangely attractive display. Take time to go to the sea to behold the green moss and capture beautiful moments of the sky and the sea.
Story and photo: Linh Chi