White lotus flowers in early summer

Every April, when the first rays of early summer sunlight touch the surface of the lakes, pink and white lotus buds of Hue gently and proudly emerge from the water in bloom.

Combining artistic expression with refined sculpting skills, Nguyen Thi Quynh Nhu, a pastry chef born in 1995, is creating vivid “blooming flowers” on each of her cakes.

While the morning mist still lingers over the streets, Hue’s flower market is already awake before dawn. At the market along Ngo Kha Street in Phu Xuan Ward, near the wholesale market, warm yellow lights spill over bundles of flowers still in bud. The sharp revving of motorbikes, vendors calling out to one another, and brisk bargaining create a unique rhythm of the final days of the lunar year.

As Lunar New Year is coming to town, public spaces throughout the heart of Hue City are slowly turning into spring destinations for both residents and visitors. These days, Hue Green Parks Center is putting the finishing touches on its preparations, bringing fresh and vibrant spring colors to the city’s public spaces.

People say that after days submerged in floodwater, when the water recedes, the ground is left with a dull, gloomy gray. Yet it is within that muted palette that the resilient life force of nature begins to sprout - taking root, greening again, and stirring with new vitality through the caring hands of the city’s green-park workers.