Hi Hive friends,
Happy New Year to everyone.
Another year has come 🎉⏰ wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.
Looking back on the past year, I'm always grateful to have a place to return to and someone to wait for (Family), a job to do and enough passion to keep trying (Teach), enough silence to live with my breaths (Yoga), there are people who always accompany me on my journeys (Friends)…
Now, what pops into my mind are the trips, my youth has set foot in the beautiful lands of the country, the places I have passed, I have left nothing but footprints and photos.
Today I want to share about my 2nd trip to Dalat with my best friend @hyhy93. At the end of May, we decided to go to Da Lat again, because we both went there a long time ago. We quickly decided and took our backpacks on the road. This time we rented a homestay, not camping anymore, so the furniture was very compact. We rent motorbikes to sightseeing places.
We stopped at the lonely pine tree and the pine hill. I feel that each trip always brings a different feeling, everything changes, from time to time, partner trips and emotions also. The pine trees are still whispering green, melodious day and night to its rhythm, despite the familiar and unfamiliar footsteps, the visitors to visit their territory. I am in love with the immense, natural's color, carrying both that freedom and hope.
The lonely pine tree was still standing, alone and silent. But they stood there despite the passage of time.
Couples who travel a long way here to take commemorative photos, their youth must have been attached to small corners of Da Lat like this. This lonely pine tree is always one of the most attractive places for young people. Because of the peace and poetry of the river, of the lawn. The sky, the earth, the river seemed to merge into one. The pine trees here have been around for a long time, they are nurtured by nature without human hands, so they keep the wild and rustic features. The feeling of driving between the two sides of the road is a green color, never felt so close to nature.
Leaving the quiet trees, we passed by Lam Vien Square in Dalat, which was relatively deserted at this time. A few years ago there was a long line of people waiting to take pictures, now there are only a few visitors and vendors walking around. This square includes "Artichoke Flower", "Giant Wildflower". Especially, inside this Artichoke Flower is a lovely Cafe shop for visitors to rest and relax, from here they can take a look at Xuan Huong Lake.
Next, we visit Tuyen Lam Lake nearby, the lake is clear, the blue water reflects the trees on the bank. What surprised me was that this is an artificial lake, but the surrounding natural scenery enhances the peaceful beauty of this lake.
Tuyen Lam Lake is located in Phuong Hoang Mountain, this is also the location of Truc Lam Zen Monastery. The temple is peaceful and quiet at the top of the mountain, amidst the immense green of the mountains and forests, the presence of the temple does not break the inherent peace, instead, it increases the peace and majesty of the sacred land. There are many legends surrounding this famous monastery.
Among them is an anecdote that in the 20th century, Thich Thanh Tu in a dream saw himself holding Phuong Hoang's neck and soaring. Waking up after contemplating, he immediately thought of Da Lat city with a cool climate all year round, beautiful scenery, deserted mountains, and lakes, if there was a monastery for them to practice, it would soon become righteous. That's why he sketched the entire monastery and went to find a suitable place to build it. When he reached the area of Phoenix mountain, he was very satisfied with the Buddhist community, so he immediately complied with his request to carry out the procedures for land grants.
From Tuyen Lam Lake, we followed a small path with 140 stone steps to go through the vast pine forests to the temple. We passed through a three-way gate, then entered the main hall of the monastery. The main hall has an area of more than 190 square meters, inside the main hall is a simple but important shrine in Buddhism. The ceiling of the main hall is covered with bright glazed tile roofs, elegantly curved roof tiles, typical of Vietnamese culture and of Zen houses.
In front of the monastery are blooming hydrangeas, welcoming guests from afar with joyful hospitality. Because this is a sacred place, we limit taking pictures, but just keep every moment in our hearts. If you have the opportunity, once come to Truc Lam Zen Monastery, to be immersed in the clear water, immerse yourself in the quiet atmosphere, let go of all the troubles and chaos of life. Your heart will be much lighter.
On the way back, we stopped at a cafe shop in the middle of the forest. The special thing is that there are small cats here. The cafe is located on a hill, here you will go on stone steps, surrounded by the green color trees. Sitting here resting, after a long journey, is also an opportunity to look back on the past, and enjoy the present nature. The little cats are very cute and affectionate, there is a dog guarding this place, but it is very gentle.
We continued our journey through the poetic streets of the city, encountering beautiful and peaceful landscapes. This trip once again brought back a lot of beautiful and memorable memories for me, I will still come back to Da Lat one day not too far away because this beautiful city discovers an interesting feature each time.
Hopefully, my journey around Da Lat will contribute a little color to the community of people who love to travel, and in the new year, we can continue to share with each other the journey of our youth.
Thank you and see you next year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR <3