HANOI AND 12 BLOSSOM SEASONS

Peach blossom colors every street

The aroma of old coriander spreads out

These signs lead up, spring comes round

I have a shy throwing off a few lines of free verse from a Vietnamese original poem, but it’s no use to explain why those who closely get on with Hanoi are wild with flowers and passionate about their colorful presences around. Passing a single month, a special smelling has just dawned on you from a distinctive flower. You may not realize them until their fragrance suddenly give off on each street; however, those who no longer base in Hanoi are aching for 12 blossom seasons.

January, vernal flowers

I can just hear soft spring trickles of rain falling down on delicate peach petals. Even though Tet comes up, its vernal feeling will lose half without some peach branches. Following in the wake of spring, the first presence of peach is on bicycles whose florists deliver spring to every household and old coriander are fragrantly sold in local markets. Before New Year's Eve, I traditionally have a soak into a tub bath with full of coriander to not only wash off unfortunates of old year, but also welcome a new spring with full of blessing.

Flower of Modesty

Though Violet is completely not derived from Hanoi, it has been naturally closely engaged and as well known as local ones. February is rarely moments that several streets in Hanoi are bathed in violets and sunshine. It is worth admiring that they sometimes stay on its branch about 3 weeks before fading away.

A snow-white March

You once walk along the road and stunningly realize that those rows of trees standing through the winter in silence are in full bloom snow white.

In that moment, Hoa Sua which is scientifically called as Dalbergia Tonkinensis Prain and planted a lot in Hanoi Botanical gardens and streets such as Tran Hung Dao, Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Dinh Phung and Hoang Dieu has arrived again. March, a time for birds to nest in those trees is partially beautified by hundreds of Hoa Sua with full of snow white and pleasant aroma.

April clings to Easter lily

Each flower season comes inseparably and goes too hastily. Sometimes, I haven't realized their arrival yet; that flower is going to get yellow and withered away. From inside a house to street, a slum to villa and an earthen case to grand crystal one; no matter where it is, Easter lily is still humble and noble with a sense of distinction.

Phoenix and Rose of India set May afire

It is customary in Vietnam that Queen’s flower is a special one typically symbolizing for pupils, for exam times and for leaving schools. That flower, scientifically named as Giant Crape-myrtle, is well known in the seventh largest country with another name - Pride of India.

While it is densely blooming at most, Phoenix flowers are getting red. Time flies and Rose of India turns pale in color with first heavy rains of May, it is also the time for Phoenix to set fire in the heat of summer. 

The month of Lotus

June must be Lotus. Being a highlight of Hanoi at that time, lotus season comes and together brings special senses when you melt your soul into thousands of that noble flower. Let get up early with locals to catch actions of sailing bamboo boats and picking lotus flowers up around West Lake in Hanoi. A local who is like a captain to cleverly sail among a huge lake gathers lotuses. The merely best ones are chosen in which a half of them is for sale at local markets nearby and the other is stored as an ingredient in special tea in order to enhance its flavor. An experience that I sometimes do when being there is that a special ambiance which local lakeside sheds inspires me is to enjoy the delicate fragrance of lotus from those sheds.

That native feeling is only in West Lake that I cannot express in single words. June, the time of being hot and tired will be cooled down when you are free in mind at that atmosphere to enjoying the flowery perfume with a cup of tea rounding by tranquility at West Lake.

PART 2