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.

I happened to come across a Facebook post of a friend currently living in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It read, “seeing seven blooming pink lotus flowers celebrating Vesak on Nhan Co Lake reminds me so much of my hometown - Hue, where Ngu Mountain and the Perfume River reside.”