Unlike the potted orchid lilies often seen in gardens, the pink trumpet tree is a tall, woody species typically planted along streets. Originating from the Americas, this flower - also known as the pink bell flower - has been widely grown in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. It usually blooms from February to June. When in full blossom, most of its leaves fall away, leaving behind clusters of soft pink and light purple flowers that create a gentle, romantic scene under the sun.

In March, as late spring draws to a close and gives way to the first heat of early summer, the parasol trees in the Imperial Palace burst into bloom. Their canopies of soft pink-purple flowers, scattered across an ancient expanse of deep green, create a poetic and dreamlike landscape that captivates all who visit.

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.

“Ve ngang mot mua hoa gao/ Thang Ba e ap ma hong/ Bang hoang tieng keu chim sao/ Mot troi hoa do menh mong…” (“Passing by a season of silk-cotton flowers / March shyly blushing pink / Startled by the call of a starling / A vast sky with red blossoms…” (from Ve ngang mua hoa gao by Thien An).

Ask the people of Hue what flower they love most, and most will likely answer: the apricot blossom. To put it more formally, “hoang mai” - yellow apricot, without a doubt. Don’t believe it? Come to Hue and see for yourself! There’s a whole movement called “Yellow apricot blossom in front of the entrance”; a completed research project on “Conservation and development of Hue’s yellow apricot variety (Hue’s Hoang mai)”; a scientific conference on developing Hue’s Hoang mai into a key local product, aimed at successfully realizing the project to build Thua Thien Hue province (now Hue City) into Vietnam’s yellow apricot homeland. My friend, journalist Minh Tu, even published a book called “In front of the house stands a yellow apricot tree”, which sold out instantly, was reprinted, and translated into foreign languages to great acclaim.

I visited An Dinh Palace on a warm, sunny early spring day. Not counting the respectful foreign visitors pausing before each artifact, I figured that among the more than 20 young people bustling about in ao-dai, with flowers, striking various poses for photos, few knew that they were standing very close to the remnants of a famous theater from the end of the Nguyen Dynasty that has now completely disappeared: Cuu Tu Dai.

Thousands of flower pots, together with decorative miniatures featuring the horse mascot along the two banks of the Perfume River, have emerged as a focal point of the Binh Ngo Tet (Lunar New Year of the Horse) 2026. The urban space of Hue has thus preserved its ancient charm while creating a distinct touch of modern beauty.

Not as common as apricot blossoms or chrysanthemums, daffodils can still be found in a few homes in Hue whenever spring returns. Enthusiasts carefully trim the bulbs, change the water, and watch the buds day by day, hoping the flowers will bloom exactly at the turn of the Lunar New Year – an elaborate pastime to welcome the new year.

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.

Preparing for the flower season of Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, flower growers across the city are staying close to their fields, busily tending their plants to ensure timely supply for the market.