Buzz
Unlike the bustling vibe of downtown streets, the riverside areas of the Red River, just minutes away from the center, offer a completely different atmosphere.
Discovering Hanoi's Windy Spots around the River Bend
The meandering Red River flows through Hanoi, creating an almost right angle that makes this urban area resemble a child nestled next to a mother brimming with vitality. Hanoi is flanked by the Red River on its northern and eastern sides. The stretch of river running through the inner city spans tens of kilometers. Along this stretch are vast, tranquil, and fertile lands.
Middle of the Red River
While the Red River boasts numerous middle sections, this term is often used to refer to the middle area located beneath the Long Bien Bridge, just a few hundred meters from central Hanoi. The river splits into a smaller branch at this point, with a large expanse of land in between the two river sections.
The Midland serves as a dwelling for some riverside villagers and impoverished households. Although it's a stone's throw from the city center, few people live there due to its outer levee location, separation by the river, ferry distance, and susceptibility to being entirely submerged during flood seasons.
This area is cleverly used by locals for agriculture. Visitors can easily encounter expansive corn fields, colorful vegetable plots, and pristine sandy stretches along the river. Viewing from the Long Bien Bridge, the entire Midland scene unfolds like a vibrant green painting, meandering alongside the mother river.
Currently, the Midland rarely floods, making it accessible any season of the year. A pedestrian staircase from the Long Bien Bridge leads to this lush expanse. Stroll through bountiful fields, dense corn patches, and admire the serpentine river, with reeds, small fishing boats bobbing by the shore, and smoke wisps from field burning creating a picturesque scene.
Arriving at dusk, the smoky haze blends with the amber sunset, offering an indescribable sense of warmth and familiarity. Don't miss out on sitting down at a nearby grilled corn stall, savoring the fragrant riversilt-infused corn while sharing cheerful tales with the stall owner.
Red River Rock Fields
This is a vast area near Au Co street known as the Red River Rock Fields. It hosts an expansive space dotted with romantic settings for leisure and photography for the youth. Wooden bridges over water bodies, rows of swaying reeds, and cool shade trees create a romantic atmosphere. With swings, windmills, and scenes of Vietnamese countryside life including buffaloes, ploughs, straw stacks, water jars, areca rows, and even vintage cyclos and jeeps, it offers myriad options for a memorable and lively photoshoot.
If you're feeling suffocated by the bustling city, take a drive to the tranquil banks of the Red River. A peaceful, serene oasis awaits your discovery. Hanoi reveals its gentler, more tranquil side here, offering an abundance of indescribable emotions.
Nhat Tan Peach Garden
Long known as a famous peach-growing village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Nhat Tan is blessed with fertile alluvial soil along the Red River, ideal for cultivating peaches. Additionally, the locals preserve the renowned bich peach variety, celebrated for its large, vibrant, and splendid blossoms during Tet.
A visit to Nhat Tan is rewarding any time of the year, as you'll always find the lively scene of locals tending to their peach trees. However, to witness the peach blossoms in full bloom, plan your visit from the end of the 11th lunar month to the 15th of the first lunar month. This season sees the fields adorned with colorful blooms, as people from all over the country come to select peaches for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Explore Nhat Tan, walk among the neat rows of peach trees, and marvel at the skilled care of the growers. You'll gain insight into their hard work, which lies behind the dazzling blossoms, a result of meticulous, year-round dedication. Moreover, you'll encounter the history of a region that has been synonymous with the beauty of this celebrated flower, integral to the heritage of Thang Long for thousands of years.
Quang Ba Flower Village
Alongside Nhat Tan's peach blossoms, Quang Ba is celebrated for its ornamental kumquat cultivation. Yet, it's also a floral paradise, dazzling in different hues each season. Immersing yourself in the daisy fields during their bloom season, you'll be swept away by the simple, pristine beauty of these flowers, swaying in the wind, evoking an indescribable sense of nostalgia.
The area is also renowned for the Quang Ba flower market. Operating from midnight to early morning, it's a major hub for wholesale flower transactions in Hanoi. Stepping into the market, you'll find yourself in a haven of hundreds of flower varieties, ready to beautify the city with their presence.
Vinh Tuy Longan Garden
Vinh Tuy's longan garden is a famed photo spot in Hanoi, beloved not just by the youth but also by couples seeking a picturesque backdrop for wedding photos. Located near the Red River, under the Vinh Tuy Bridge, this spot is a sprawling longan farm that captures the rustic charm of the Vietnamese countryside. The garden offers a vast, open space where the sky and water merge.
The lush greenery of expansive grass fields stretching far and wide, rows of longan trees forming long lines, and the canopy of leaves interlocking create a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Accessible via Chương Dương or Vinh Tuy Bridge, the longan garden is an ideal spot for picnics with friends. Bring some snacks and a small mat. If you visit at dusk, you'll be treated to a fairy-tale-like vista of the river and the ancient green trees under the soft glow of the setting sun.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Travel Guide Mytour
MytourMay 9th, 2016
