The mystical beauty of the Firmiana simplex

According to the Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi historical record, during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, from two parasol trees brought from Guangdong (China), the emperor had people carry leaves into the forest to find more and bring back saplings to plant at the corner by Thai Hoa Palace, in front of Can Chanh Palace, and in other important locations within the Hue Imperial Citadel. The emperor also had the Firmiana simplex tree carved onto the Nhan Dinh (one of the Nine Dynastic Urns) - the urn representing Emperor Minh Mang.

Hue Today Weekly would like to invite readers to admire the graceful beauty of the parasol tree blossoms in Hue Imperial Citadel, as well as their luxurious and unique presence at Hieu Lang (Emperor Minh Mang’s Mausoleum).

The photo series was done by Tuan Kiet, a photographer, who shared a gentle reflection: The Firmiana simplex trees are currently appearing quite densely at Hieu Lang. Unfortunately, this beauty has yet to be fully tapped for promotion. Given their long blooming period - sometimes lasting an entire month - if properly planned and planted more densely at heritage sites, we could imagine a near future where Firmiana simplex become a distinctive attraction for Hue, much like cherry blossoms have done for Japan.