Summer flowers in Hanoi

During May, when the sound of cicadas signals the advent of summer, giant purple crape-myrtle flowers, known as ‘bang lang’, bloom along many streets of Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

The crape-myrtle flowers boast different colours, including purple, pink, and white, but the purple variety is the most familiar among Hanoians (Photo: VNA)

Despite blooming for just a short period of time, the bright purple of the flower brings a poetic beauty to the capital in the early days of the season (Photo: VNA)

The flowers of trees known as ‘Muong Hoang Yen’ are also beginning to bloom at this time and fill the streets of Hanoi with a sea of vibrant yellow (Photo: VNA)

The flowers of trees known as ‘Muong Hoang Yen’ are also beginning to bloom at this time and fill the streets of Hanoi with a sea of vibrant yellow (Photo: VNA)

The yellow buds form in bunches measuring between 20 and 40 centimetres (Photo: VNA)

Each branch holds around five buds of oval shaped petals (Photo: VNA)

Between May and July, flamboyant trees (Phuong Vy) begin to show off their blazing red flowers (Photo: VNA)

Between May and July, flamboyant trees (Phuong Vy) begin to show off their blazing red flowers (Photo: VNA)

White lotuses, meanwhile, begin to bloom in the West Lake flower garden (Photo: VNA)

Pink lotuses are a distinctive feature of the flowers of Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

The lotuses around West Lake also blossom with a certain fragrance (Photo: VNA)

The lotuses around West Lake also blossom with a certain fragrance (Photo: VNA)