Lake Piscine - the dance of rocks and water

While Bien Lac Lake boasts picturesque and romantic mountain scenery, the northern part of our province also has another mountain lake with breathtaking views that will leave visitors speechless. This is Piscine Lake, located in Binh An commune, Bac Binh district.

Following our guide, we began our journey to Piscine Lake around midday. The path to the lake is now much easier to navigate thanks to the well-worn trails used by the locals. From the area known as Ba Ghe, a revolutionary base of the army and people of Bac Binh during the resistance war against the US, we followed a trail along the mountain slope to reach Piscine Lake. Although it's a mountain path, there are no steep slopes, so enjoying the mountain scenery is a delightful experience. The winding streams, the sound of flowing water, the birdsong, and the faint scent of the forest all blended together, giving us an indescribable feeling of exhilaration. The deeper we went, the cooler the air became; we could feel the wind blowing and the clouds drifting. There was no feeling of fatigue, only a strange sense of peace, tranquility, and comfort.

After a nearly hour's journey, we arrived at the foot of two mountain ranges called Chep La and Ta Bang. Before us were small waterfalls winding through moss-covered, emerald-green rocks. The rocks here are beautiful, with many colors and unusual shapes. Passing the small waterfalls, we reached Piscine Lake. It's a small, heart-shaped lake, about 100 square meters in area, with crystal-clear, turquoise water. Around the lake are tiny waterfalls that meander through the mossy crevices of the rocks.

According to our research, the name Piscine was given by the French, but no one remembers the exact year. In French, Piscine means swimming pool or pool, while in English it's an adjective related to fish. This seems fitting for what we're seeing and experiencing here. Besides the large Piscine pool at the bottom, there are clusters of different sized pools, arranged in tiers like clear blue waterfalls, teeming with various freshwater fish.

Piscine Lake consists of two lakes, an upper and a lower one. Each lake has its own unique beauty, so to explore and admire them, we had to navigate through large and small rocks winding along the beautiful, moss-covered stream. Near Tet (Vietnamese New Year), on both sides of the stream, branches of wild plum blossoms bloom early, their yellow flowers swaying in the wind. There are many plum blossoms here, growing in wide patches with large trunks emerging from the crevices of the rocks. Wild plum blossoms are usually not as large as the buds of plum trees grown in home gardens, but their flowers last longer and their fragrance is truly more captivating. Because they mainly grow on rocky slopes next to small waterfalls, the plum blossoms always bloom early. During the Lunar New Year, this will be a delightful destination for those who love plum blossoms.

After passing through the fields of blooming yellow apricot blossoms, we will reach Piscine Lake. Although small, Piscine Lake boasts far more stunning scenery. The unique rock formations and flowing water make this place even more distinctive and captivating. Not only us, but anyone who visits this place will be amazed and deeply moved.

Piscine Lake is located in the La Bá revolutionary base area, so during the war against the US, it was chosen as the location for celebrating holidays and festivals for our soldiers. Even after the war, Piscine Lake remains as beautiful as it was in the beginning. There are still the gnarled, weathered trees displaying the uneven marks of time, and the crooked mango trees with their wide canopies and thick, dark trunks leaning against ancient rocks. If you have the chance, come to this place; you will enjoy the wonders that nature has bestowed upon life.

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