Street vendors carry soul of Hanoi’s autumn

Old bicycles laden with a variety of blooming flowers are like a piece of the colourful mosaic of Hanoi streets in autumn. The capital city is believed to be most beautiful in autumn, which lasts from early September to November. This season has the most comfortable weather as the heat is no longer as intense as in summer while heavy rains already became a thing of the past. Instead, dry cool winds reach every corner of the city, telling Hanoians that autumn has come. In fact, street vendors are present in Hanoi all year round, and they have formed part of the local attractiveness (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The bicycle of a street vendor seems to be dwarfed by a wide range of colourful flowers. Hanoi is beautiful in autumn because of not only tree-lined streets blanketed with fallen yellow leaves or the comfortable cool but also the flowers in full bloom carried across the city by vendors. The pink of lotus bulbs and roses, the white of daisies, the yellow of sunflowers, or the orange of bird-of-paradise flowers all adorn the capital city and make Hanoi more charming in the eyes of both local residents and visitors. The items sold by street vendors can also be considered as indicators of what season Hanoi is in (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Blossoms of the European Michaelmas daisy, called ‘hoa thach thao’ in Vietnamese, can win the heart of every people thanks to its passionate purple. The European Michaelmas daisy is one of the typical flowers of the Hanoi autumn. People can also see many other types of flowers sold on local streets this season such as daisies or yellow roses. In particular, when it comes to Hanoi’s autumn, milk flower is one of the most memorable things as tiny white blossoms and their passionate fragrance can leave both visual and olfactory impression on every person. Most of flowers sold on Hanoi streets are grown in the city’s suburban areas or neighbouring provinces (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Colourful dailies sold on a street in Hanoi. Most of street vendors are from outlying areas or other localities, and they come in the capital city in a bid to earn a living. However, the items they sell as well as themselves have proved to be contributors to Hanoi’s attractiveness. In recent years, Hanoi has been hailed as one of the most attractive destinations in the region and the world. Last year, it won the Travelers’ Choice Awards and was ranked among the 25 leading destinations in Asia and the 25 world’s leading places on TripAdvisor website. It was also listed as one of the best travel destinations in Asia in 2019 by CNN (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Only a vending bicycle laden with colourful flowers is enough to pull busy city dwellers out of a vibrant Hanoi and help them enjoy a slower pace of life. In recent years, Hanoi has emerged as a dynamic city with fast growth, but its romantic aspect can still be found via vending bicycles like this. The city recently ranked 15th in the list of 25 most popular destinations of the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. This travel website said the charming Vietnamese capital has aged well, preserving the Old Quarter, monuments and colonial architecture, while making room for modern developments alongside. Lakes, parks, shady boulevards and more than 600 temples and pagodas add to the appeal of this city (Photo: VietnamPlus)

White statice flowers on a vending bicycle. Hanoi has long established itself as a popular destination for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors. The capital city last year welcomed nearly 29 million tourists, up 10.1 percent year-on-year, more than 7 million of them foreign guests, increasing by 17 percent. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact, the capital attracted just 6.29 million visitors in the first eight months of this year, tumbling 67.3 percent year on year, with international arrivals down 75.6 percent to just 1.02 million. Local authorities are working hard to welcome tourists back, and they hope to attract about 11 million domestic tourists by the end of 2020 (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A vendor waters flowers on her bicycle. Flowers need to be watered regularly to stay fresh during the long day they are carried along Hanoi streets. The capital city seems to become more romantic and appealing thanks to these ‘mobile’ flower shops. Hanoi, together with Ho Chi Minh City, was recently named among the most popular travel destinations throughout Asia by US-based magazine Reader's Digest. This magazine said from picturesque temples and pagodas to vibrant markets, Hanoi is a feast for the senses, noting that despite modern developments, history remains on display throughout. The list has been compiled based on natural splendor, eye-catching architecture, rich culture, and culinary delights (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Apart from flowers, fruits are also among popular items sold on vending bicycles in the capital city. In 2019, CNN listed Hanoi and Phu Quoc Island in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang as the best travel destinations in Asia. Many highlights of Hanoi were recently listed in the CNN article suggesting 13 memorable experiences for foreign visitors in Vietnam such as ‘search for the best pho in Hanoi’, ‘make vermicelli noodles in Cu Da village’, and ‘ride the Reunification Express (officially known as North-South Railway)’. Meanwhile, Bigseventravel, an Italian tourism website, gave Hanoi the fifth position among the seven best places in Asia for solo travelers (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Crunchy persimmons are one of the most favourite fruits of Hanoians once autumn comes due to their light fragrance and unique taste. That is why this fruit is sold popularly by street vendors here in this season. The capital city has its own typical flowers and fruits in each season. When dry cool winds reach every corner of the city, Hanoians know that autumn, believed to be the best season in the city, has come. This season, lasting from early September to November, has the most comfortable weather as the heat is no longer as intense as in summer while heavy rains already became a thing of the past (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Papayas on a flat winnowing basket of a street vendor. Papaya is grown all year round, but in autumn, with the Mid-Autumn Festival, this fruit is present on families’ five-fruit trays offered to ancestors with a view to praying for wealth and happiness. Apart from crunchy persimmons and papayas, there are also some other fruits typical for autumn of Hanoi as well as the northern region of Vietnam as a whole such as ‘sau’ (Dracontomelon duperreanum), ripe guavas, and ‘thi’ (Diospyros decandra). People can easily find typical flowers and fruits of each season in Hanoi, and that’s why the items sold by street vendors can tell what season the capital city is in (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A vendor weights papayas to sell to a buyer on a Hanoi street. Most of street vendors are from outlying areas or other localities, and they come to the capital city in a bid to earn a living. However, the items they sell as well as themselves have proved to be contributors to Hanoi’s attractiveness. As the resurgence of COVID-19 in Vietnam has been basically brought under control, the tourism sector in the capital city of Hanoi has been swiftly making plans to attract visitors again and gradually return to previous levels of growth. Local authorities are working hard to welcome tourists back, and they hope to attract about 11 million domestic tourists by the end of 2020 (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A vendor weights papayas to sell to a buyer on a Hanoi street. Most of street vendors are from outlying areas or other localities, and they come to the capital city in a bid to earn a living. However, the items they sell as well as themselves have proved to be contributors to Hanoi’s attractiveness. As the resurgence of COVID-19 in Vietnam has been basically brought under control, the tourism sector in the capital city of Hanoi has been swiftly making plans to attract visitors again and gradually return to previous levels of growth. Local authorities are working hard to welcome tourists back, and they hope to attract about 11 million domestic tourists by the end of 2020 (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A vendor cares for the flowers on her bicycle on a pavement covered with falling yellow leaves. Hanoi becomes more romantic in autumn also thanks to the bright yellow sunlight passing through the thick canopy of trees along streets. At the end of August and in early September, when cool winds herald autumn, ‘sau’ (dracontomelon duperreanum) leaves fall onto local streets. Various streets in downtown the city like Tran Phu, Phan Dinh Phung and Tran Hung Dao host tall old ‘sau’ trees. Local residents consider ‘sau’ a delicacy though it is quite simple and hidden in the green leaves above many streets (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A vendor holds a bunch of the European Michaelmas daisy. The flower, called ‘hoa thach thao’ in Vietnamese, can win the heart of every person thanks to its passionate purple. The European Michaelmas daisy is one of the typical flowers of the Hanoi autumn. People can also see many other types of flowers sold on local streets this season such as daisies or yellow roses. In particular, when it comes to Hanoi’s autumn, milk flower is one of the most memorable things as tiny white blossoms and their passionate fragrance can leave both visual and olfactory impression on every people. Most of flowers sold on Hanoi streets are grown in the city’s suburban areas or neighbouring provinces (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Women sell flowers and fruits on a street in Hanoi. It is not hard to see vendors coming to every street and alley of the city and crying their wares. Despite how modern the capital is, street vendors are always an indispensable part of the local life. In recent years, Hanoi has emerged as a dynamic city with fast growth, but its romantic aspect can still be found via vending bicycles like this. The city recently ranked 15th in the list of 25 most popular destinations of the 2020 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. Last year, it was also ranked among the 25 leading destinations in Asia and the 25 world’s leading places on TripAdvisor website (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A fruit vendor on a street in Hanoi. Items sold by street vendors can tell what season the capital city is in as each season has its typical flowers and fruits. Apart from flowers and fruits, the city is also home to a number of special dishes that have made it even more famous among travellers. The Cable News Network (CNN) recommended five must-try dishes for foreign visitors on the streets of Hanoi, besides ‘bun cha’ and world-famous ‘pho’, namely ‘cha ca’ (fish cooked with turmeric and dill), ‘banh tom’ (shrimp cake), ‘bun ca’ (fish noodle soup), ‘bun rieu cua’ (crab noodle soup), and ‘ca phe trung’ (egg coffee) (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A woman sells fruits on a street in the capital city. Most of street vendors are from outlying areas or other localities, and they come in the capital city in a bid to earn a living. They are present in Hanoi all year round, and they have formed part of the local attractiveness. Old bicycles laden with a variety of flowers and fruits are like a piece of the colourful mosaic of Hanoi streets in autumn. The city is believed to be most beautiful in this season, which lasts from early September to November and has the most comfortable weather thanks to the absence of the summer’s heat and the presence of dry cool winds across the city (Photo: VietnamPlus)