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).

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.

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.

While not as large-scale or bustling as many famous flower villages in the North and the South such as Sa Dec (Dong Thap), Cai Mon (Vinh Long), Nhat Tan, Tay Tuu (Hanoi), or Thai Phien (Lam Dong)…, the flower villages supplying Tet flowers in Hue remain vibrant and deeply imbued with local cultural identity.

Alongside their efforts to help trees sprout and flowers bloom across the nation’s borderlands, the Border Guard force has been nurturing a vibrant spring in the hearts of the people.

On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2025), a delegation from the City People’s Committee, led by Mr. Nguyen Chi Tai, Deputy Chairman of the City People’s Committee held a memorial ceremony, laid wreaths, and offered incense at Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery and Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery.

If you come to Hue in these late spring days, let’s wander along the banks of the Huong River, parks, and streets in the city to admire the gentle purple Xoan petals, as beautiful as Hue maidens!

The trees with red silk-cotton flowers blooming like dots, making the landscape of Hue even more brilliant.