14TH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM

Purple flowers signal Hanoi’s summer

Jenna Duong - Duy Khanh

May 18, 2022 / 09:27 AM

Leaving the gloomy and drizzling days behind, Hanoi has re-encountered its usual summer vibrancy with purple Lagerstroemia blossoming all over the streets.

Every May, many streets of Hanoi are tinged with the romantic purple Lagerstroemia, indicating that summer has come.

The purple flowering tree that is better known as “the Pride of India” was planted extensively on the streets of Hanoi in the 1980s. For over twenty years now, the graceful flower has still dyed the streets purple every summer.

Along with red flamboyant, the beauty of purple Lagerstroemia has starred in many poems and songs-themed students.

The flowers only bloom in the summer, signaling the end of the school year and evoking the sadness of seeing off before the summer break among the teenagers.

The purple Lagerstroemia also won the hearts of many girls. They love taking pictures with them to preserve the moments of their adolescence.

Lagerstroemia is planted on many streets of Hanoi, including Kim Ma, Dao Tan, Tran Thai Tong, Tran Nhat Duat, among others. So, despite having their own names, these streets share the common denomination of "purple flower street" for sometimes by Hanoians.

In addition to the popular color of light purple, Lagerstroemia is also pale purple-white or dark purple.

The flower usually grows in clusters. Each flower spike is 20-30cm long with dozens of small flowers growing densely and consists of countless yellow pistils inside six purple silky thin petals.

The beautiful flowers without fragrance can still enchant many romantic souls that everyone who lives far from the capital city would regret missing when the summer is around the corner.