Come March, many corners of Hanoi, especially in the countryside, are adorned by red kapok trees blooming in profusion.
Come March, many corners of Hanoi, especially in the countryside, are adorned by red kapok trees blooming in profusion.
Kapok trees 30 meters tall are in full bloom around the National Museum of History in downtown Hanoi. For Hanoians, the sight of these red flowers signals the approach of summer. |
The kapok trees, believed by many Vietnamese to be favored by ghosts, are an idyllic sight across many Red River Delta villages at this time of year, often planted to demarcate rice fields or at village entrances. |
This tropical Asian tree is also known as red silk-cotton or just silk-cotton. Its bark, root and flowers are used in oriental medicine. Kapok trees are commonly used medicinally to counter fever and detoxify. Particularly, their flowers are employed to treat diseases like peptic ulcers. |
Kapok trees along a lane in My Duc District, home to Huong Pagoda. |
(Source: VNExpress)