[Photo Series]: Vietnam in Bloom

In Vietnam, business is certainly "blooming." The tropical climate allows for beautiful flowers to blossom in every season, a boon for the nation's agricultural sector. Last year, Vietnam News reported on the profitability of Hanoi's many flower gardens. From 2015 to 2020, the city added 2,476 hectares dedicated to flowers and other ornamental plants. Some farming models generate between $56,855 USD to $96,216 USD per hectare per year.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Ollie Nguyen.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by A. Binder.

Photo by Grant J. Riley.

It should be no surprise why these pretty plants are so beloved. Vietnam's magnificent flowers have made an impact the culture. According to ancient stories and superstitions, some flowers in Vietnam are said to have special powers and immense luck. For example, during the Tet season, the two most popular flowers are Hoa Đào and Hoa Mai. The pink petals of the Hoa Đào are said to be so vibrant that it repels evil spirits. Meanwhile, if one grows a yellow Hoa Mai flower with more than five petals, the rest of their year will be full of unexpected blessings.

Photo by Hong Anh.

Photo by A. Binder.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by A. Binder.

Plenty of Vietnamese artists have found inspiration by staring at the complexity of petals or the studying the hopeful rosebud. Ho Xuan Huong, Vietnam's Queen of Nôm Poetry, wrote about the joys of a flowery harvest in her poem entitled "Picking Flowers."

If you want to pick flowers, you have to hike.

Climbing up, don’t worry about your weary bones.

Pluck the low branches, pull down the high.

Enjoy alike the spent blossoms, the tight buds.

Photo by Hong Anh.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Grant J. Riley.

Famed Vietnamese singer Trinh Cong Son used allusions of flowers to depict his romantic desires. In his song "Bright Yellow Flower," Son uses the titular image to represent a lost love. Like the memory of a flower, the memory of seeing a beautiful woman stays with Son for months, every during the dead of winter. By depicting his nameless beauty as a flower in a summer breeze, Son highlights the woman's beauty while lamenting their brief encounter.

She turned up here, a yellow flower

A perfume spray in Summer streets

Now who was this, just met by chance

A sudden breeze, no sooner here, flies off

She turned up here, a brilliant flower

So slow to fade, so long in mind

Days fly past now, still in my heart.

Photo by Grant J. Riley.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Hong Anh.

Photo by Vuong Duy Nguyen.

Photo by Hong Anh.

Flowers also appear in Vietnamese fashion. The áo dài, Vietnam's national dress, is often embroidered with lush bouquets of flowers, accentuating one's beauty and femininity. In 2017, designer Nguyen Cong Tri amazed international audiences at a fashion show in Tokyo with his stunning collection, dubbed "Em Hoa." The chic white clothes feature a splash of wild colors of Vietnam's flowers.

In the age of Covid, one creative Vietnamese florist used his surplus of flowers to create sweet-smelling face masks. Made in the anxious first few months of the pandemic, these flowery masks were a great way to spread positivity while also remaining safe from the virus.

Photo by Grant J. Riley.

Photo by A. Binder.

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

Photo by Reka Markos.

Photo by Hong Anh.

The flower is a familiar sight in Vietnamese art and culture but what lessons does it impart? Perhaps, the revered Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has the best answer. In a conversation with American journalist Krista Tippett, the cherished modern philosopher spoke of transforming suffering into peace. For his analogy, Hanh chose the lotus, Vietnam's national flower.

"It's like growing lotus flowers. You cannot grow lotus flowers on marble. You have to grow them on the mud. Without mud you cannot have lotus flowers. Without suffering, you have no way to learn how to be understanding and compassionate."

Photo by Glen MacDonald.

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