What to expect in March? Red Silk Cotton Flower
I am personally not a fan of any flower, but my friend who is from the South seems to have endless love for flowers, especially those that characterize the North. Guess what to expect in March in Hanoi? It is a season of Red Silk Cotton Flower.
People may don’t even know what Red Silk Cotton Flower is. It is “Hoa Gạo” in Vietnamese, which is native to the North of Vietnam and normally blooms in March. Red Silk Cotton Flower together with the banyan tree, the wharf, the well, and the communal house yard are always appear in mind of Vietnamese people as an iconic image of northern villages.
As a symbol of the countryside, it was hard for us to find Red Silk Cotton Flower in the inner city. But there were several places being well-known for this kind of flower in the suburbs of Hanoi: Thay Pagoda and Doan Nu Village.
Thay Pagoda
We decided to visit a closer destination first - Thay Pagoda which was located 20 km from Hanoi. Thay Pagoda is one of the most famous pagodas in Vietnam, built in the Dinh Dynasty (10th century). It has become an attraction, a sacred destination drawing many visitors all year round. But it seemed much more crowded in March as people come for Red Silk Cotton Flower.
Red Silk Cotton Flowers are produced in spring and normally bloom in full in March and April with five red petals. The flowers look like little fires sparkling in the blue sky of March, creating a very unique beauty in the background of the ancient and tranquil pagoda.
As an annual event, in March, this place becomes a destination for many people to admire and take photos with the flowers.
Doan Nu Village
Seem like we didn’t get enough of it, we decided to go 40km further from Thay Pagoda to visit Doan Nu Village – another place for Red Silk Cotton Flower.
The flowers were blooming along the side of the channel and the road surrounded by vast green rice fields. The scenery was just stunning.
In the flower blooming season, the Red silk cotton tree loses all its leaves, leaving only red flowers on its branches, which is so interesting to behold.
