Buzz
In the lively April ambiance, it seemed as if the intense Southern sun had disappeared from Saigon, only to be replaced by the enchanting tunes of trumpets echoing through the streets.
Saigon travel: Marveling at trumpet flowers in April
April in Saigon, where the scorching sun kisses the skin. The sun prompts people to seek refuge under the shade of trees, escaping the relentless heat and the ceaseless dusty wind that defines this city.
Contrary to expectations, this morning, the April sun seemed to have vanished from the Southern sky, replaced by the enchanting melodies of trumpets on the streets. The petite and fragrant trumpet flowers, once common, have become a rare sight at Saigon's flower stalls in recent years.
Our trumpets are delicate, slender, and quietly elegant, unlike the large, rigid 'Chinese' or 'Western' trumpet varieties that resemble scentless plastic flowers. They are 'trumpets' in form but silent in expression.
And that distinctive greenish-white color is truly special. It recalls moments of different Aprils, early summer days, with new sunshine and streets immersed in the pure white shades of flowers for Hanoians far from home. The feeling is unlike the streets of Saigon, even when this flower used to be planted and sold in the past.
Each time I see that flower, the image of a small wooden attic on Bach Mai street, belonging to my grandmother, comes back to me. The house, built during the French colonial period, is one of many ancient houses in Hanoi with a spiral staircase and glossy black wooden floors.
Her tiny room, though small, left an unforgettable impression on me with its shiny black mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture and a trumpet flower vase every April, white and green, pure and bright in the small attic.
The trumpet flower captivates me not only with its graceful and ever-reaching form but also with its gently fragrant scent. A fragrance that is hard to compare, always subtle and elusive, waiting to be discovered if you pay attention and seek.
Have you ever observed the rows of flowers in Hanoi or Saigon? Have you gazed upon trumpet flowers displayed alongside roses, lilies, daisies, and orchids? The trumpet blossoms always modestly bow their heads, seemingly unable to bloom amidst the chaotic frenzy of a myriad of vibrant colors.
Bring them home, choose a ceramic vase, whether it's made of fired clay, crackled white enamel, or celadon green pottery, and cradle them within. Trumpet flowers are not selective about space like other flowers. On the contrary, they silently transform a space, much like that greenish-white hue.
The buds will no longer be sorrowful, and the pure white trumpets will emerge every day, accompanied by the gentle scent of flowers hidden in every step.
There are numerous legends about the presence of this flower on Earth. My favorite is the story of Eva. It is said that when leaving the Garden of Eden, Eva cried, and from her first tear, a white flower with a glistening dewdrop emerged. That was the trumpet flower. These trumpets carry the purity and innocence of the woman, along with the unspoken sadness. Quietly sending fragrance with the wind, reaching those who love flowers.
Trumpet flowers on the street!
They are a myriad of water droplets, pure and white, in the remaining patches of greenery amidst the concrete jungle in Quang Ba, Nhat Tan, every April. They are bicycles adorned with white and carrying fragrance throughout my hometown. It's the scent of flowers and the soul of flowers saturating the April air in Hanoi, a space like no other. They are the trumpets speaking on behalf of those far away.
Today, Saigon's streets carry the tears of Hanoi.
Droplets of white, verdant, pure tears, carrying a myriad of lights, spread across the streets, named trumpet flowers.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourApril 20, 2016
