“What a pity. I didn’t have a chance to stop by the city of yellow apricot blossoms (ochna integerrima) for a check-in.” It was a message I received from a tourist acquaintance when she and her family just had a north-south backpacking trip after a long ceasing time due to Covid-19.

On the first days of the new year, tourists destinations, hotels, and resorts, etc., all recorded a significant number of tourists coming for visiting and entertaining.

I was invited to take a ‘Green Hue’ sightseeing trip. Standing on Gia Vien bridge and look northwards on a sunny day, I saw River Huong was supported with different colors: yellow of the Golden Shower tree, scarlet of the Flamboyant, velvet of the crape-myrtle, blue of the sky and green of water. It made me think of a picture of happiness and well-being in the deep memory of more than thirty years: Sinh paintings.