Flowers are indispensable on Tet holiday
Aspiration from flowers
Talking about unique stories on Tet holiday in Hue, Dr. Tran Dinh Hang, Director of Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts in Hue shared, that all customs and rituals are directed towards the ultimate goal of aspiration for peace, reunion, good health, and favorable weather. Spring is the beginning season, the season of reproduction and budding; Spring is the season of crystallization, the season of flowers blooming and fruiting, like a good cause and effect for a year.
The unique feature of Hue people is the ideologicalization of the most ordinary and idyllic things. Flowers are not only a hobby but also a symbol. Hue people are very delicate and during the Tet holiday, there must be a type of flower, a flower pot, or something placed on the altar, on the reception table, in front of the porch. It is also a signal, wishing for a happy new year like flowers in bloom.
“Flowers on Tet holiday express aspiration in two aspects of colors and the petals of the flowers, representing reunion and affluence. The two most chosen flower colors are red and yellow, which are the color of flourishing, suitable for the climate of Vietnam and the Central region. The flowers symbolizing the most fullness that Hue people always aim to choose is the chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums are also a symbol of the sun, expressing fullness in health, money, and property,” Dr. Tran Dinh Hang explained.
That is why in the Spring Flower Festival, the annual flower exhibition spaces are always held in Hue. Chrysanthemums still account for the number and most attention of customers.
To find a suitable type of flower or flower pot, many people take all day to choose. Whether the price is high or low, due to the difficulty in the economy, Hue people still consider buying a pair of flowers displayed in front of the porch. Without flowers, the Tet holiday is incomplete.
This year, the Spring Flower Festival continues to take place at Phu Xuan Park (the section from Nghinh Luong Dinh to Da Vien Bridge) from January 22 to 31 (on the 20th to the 29th of the Lunar New Year). The flower lanterns are lit and the busy stream of people flock to the spring flower festival. The faint scent of flowers, the joyful atmosphere, the blooming flowers signal a new year of high expectations. In addition, at the main roads, centers of districts and towns, flowers spots are also busier to serve buyers.
Mr. Le Nhu Chinh, Director of Hue Green Park Center said that this year, next to the flower market in Phu Xuan Park, the Lunar New Year festival will be held from January 29 to February 5 (from the 27th of the year of the Ox to the fifth day of the year of the Tiger) at Ly Tu Trong Park. This will be a flower and bonsai park; display and arrange art flower beds, flamingos, models of mascots representing the year of the Tiger, flower wells, and flower trains. Recreating the model of Linh Mu pagoda, Noon Gate, Thanh Tien paper flower village, arranging calligraphy for the first letter of the year; displaying all kinds of ornamental plants, miniatures, bonsai, rockeries, ornamental rocks, driftwood, driftwood statues and so on.
Still ensuring safety
This year, the space of the spring flower festival is expanded around the walking routes, taking the Perfume River as the center. A space large enough is to welcome more guests, ensure the distance factor, which will offer numerous options for guests when coming to the spring flower festival.
At the underneath of Phu Xuan Bridge, the pedestrian route along the Perfume River, the area of Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Pham Hong Thai (the entrance to Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street), the Nguyen Dinh Chieu pedestrian zone, the Tu Tuong Park area, ironwood pedestrian bridge and Thuong Bac Park will all be decorated with unique, eye-catching, meaningful and attractive flowers.
And if you want to find more space, you can go to the roads around the Citadel; here, many kinds of flowers are also been planted, the roads have been embellished to serve citizens and tourists conveniently.
Ms. Vo Nguyen Ai Van residing in Hue city shared that over the years, flowers on Tet holiday in Hue are very beautiful. The bright colors of flowers are like an affirmation for a lucky new year. Every year her family goes to the spring flower festival to have fun. In the past two years, due to the pandemic, when visiting, you must be more careful, always keep your distance and do not forget to wear a mask, in order to prevent and fight the pandemic together.
This year, Hue Green Park Center nurtured and planted a total of 250,000 trees and flowers to decorate the whole city. Mr. Le Nhu Chinh - Director of the Center wishes that everyone will have a joyful, bustling, and distance-free atmosphere during the Tet holiday. The pandemic is still a challenge despite adapting, so all residents and visitors when coming to play at Tet flower spaces need to ensure the requirements of pandemic prevention and control.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, assessed that the spring flower festival has become a cultural activity, entertainment and attraction for tourists. Not only serving flower buyers, this is also a place where many people come to "check-in", take photos of the joyful spring. In the long run, this will become a highlight to improve and promote tourism products to attract tourists to Hue on Tet occasion.
Story and photo: Duc Quang