April: An exquisite floral interlude across Vietnam

When the drizzly spells stop and the humidity clears, April marks the beginning of summer with brilliantly honey-hued sunshine flooding the streets and dancing through the trees. April welcomes the fresh blooming of summery flowers typical to each and every region, creating a carnival of colour and fragrance.

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A PURE OF MADONNA LILY FLOWERS

Flower arranging has been an enjoyable pastime for Hanoians for many years. Throughout April, you will easily catch sight of bicycles adorned with a variety of beautiful blooms on the streets and alleyways of the ancient capital. When thinking about which flower marks the most impressive transition between spring and summer, Madonna lily flowers might spring to mind with their delicate beauty and perfectly pungent fragrance.

Madonna lilies, also known as hoa hue tay, bloom only in April. Lilies are often considered inferior to other flowers, but this pretty flower holds its own with its pure white petals and lush green leaves, likened to Tonkin girls with gentle, timid yet equally passionate characteristics. On blooming, each flower opens its petals to display the inner yellow stamen that gives off a pleasant scent in the gentle April breeze. Wherever you are in Hanoi during the lily blooming period, you will fall in love with flower bicycles pedaling leisurely through the streets at sunrise, each bundle of flowers glistening with drops of dew. The flower-clad bicycles are just one of the subtle signals that summer is just around the corner.

SAIGON WELCOMES A SUNNY BURST OF YELLOW IN APRIL

When it is scorching hot in Saigon in mid-April, the locals have the opportunity to enjoy the stunningly intense beauty of yellow scorpion trees stretching in long lines as far as the eye can see. The yellow scorpion flower is also known as Cassia fistula, water scorpion, late spring tree and Osaka blossom. On blooming, these bright yellow flowers look so attractive and radiant with their perfectly scorpion-shaped pistil, they are a definite head-turner. The dynamic metropolis erupts into a yellow carpet of scorpion blossoms during the peak season. This eye-popping flower resembles sunshine with its warm yellow tones. It brings a sense of immediate relaxation under the dense canopy.

Saigon in April is hot, but there can be a gentle breeze whistling through the city, causing the clusters of flowers to sway back and forth, catching passers-by’s attention. This yellow-flowered plant actually blooms all year round, but the peak season is usually between late spring and early summer when the scorpion trees are in full bloom. These unique blossoms form a romantic picture-perfect landscape filled with vitality amidst the metropolis of Saigon. Take a stroll along the rows of yellow scorpion flowers and soak up the atmosphere, you will see many workers stopping to rest, cooling down with a mug of iced tea, laughing and cracking jokes with their friends. It is said that these treasured blooms bring closeness, inspire deep emotion and are an integral part of Vietnamese culture.

AZALEA FLOWERS IN SA PA

If you have ever travelled to Sa Pa in late March or early April, you might have seen the azalea flowers popping up in clusters all over the main roads to local villages. Azaleas bloom all year round, but this floral plant provides the most beautiful views during springtime. To celebrate the flowerflled spring scene, locals host an annual azalea festival that attracts droves of visitors from far and wide.

Azaleas intrigue many flower lovers with their scenic charm, mesmerising fragrance and spectrum of colours that range from red, purple and pink to pure white. These beautifully colourful flowers blanket the picturesque grassy hills, compliment the idyllic traditional houses and create an impressive floral display amidst the misty town of Sa Pa, transforming it into an enchanted fairyland away from a chaotic life. In late spring, the Hoang Lien Son Range comes alive in a brilliant carpet of azalea varieties, making the Northwestern mountains, hills and forests the perfect backdrop. Picture this, the pleasant cool spring weather of Sa Pa, the azalea forests shrouded in mist, you would feel like you were visiting a floral garden in Europe. Azaleas, dubbed the Queen flower of the Northwestern region, not only symbolise Sa Pa’s beauty, but are also the most brilliant flower in Vietnam at this time of year.

FALL IN LOVE WITH TRAU FLOWERS IN HA GIANG

Ha Giang Province, the northernmost tip of Vietnam, captivates both locals and travellers with its stunning magnificence, splendour and romance. Every season, Ha Giang boasts a different beauty, but in April, the province becomes even more pristine and enthralling as Trau flowers burst with colour in full bloom. Trau flowers symbolise love and purity. Each cluster of white-hued flowers combined with the vibrant green leaves on a backdrop of undulating mountains and hills bring a little slither of simplicity and intimacy to the expansive Northwestern landscape.

When the Trau flowers are in full bloom, the scenery explodes into a riot of pure white, covering the lush green hills and lining the small roads towards the peaceful villages. This white-flowered plant is thought to be the embodiment of the Ha Giang residents who are generous, hospitable, optimistic and progressive. Travelling to Ha Giang during the floral season, you will be mesmerised by stunning nature as the romantic petals fall gently onto the roadside. Once you have seen the flowers unique to this mountainous region, they will be engraved on your memory. You will have fallen in love with the Ha Giang Province and you will certainly want to revisit the area at this beautiful time of year.

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