Outer beauty, inner peace: lotus stragglers bid adieu to summer

By Huynh Phuong August 29, 2020 | 11:26 pm PT

Lensman Nguyen Ha Phu captures the last of the bright and beautiful blooms in Hanoi as the lotus season draws to an end.

Living in Hanois Thanh Tri District, photographer Nguyen Ha Phu is a flower lover at heart. Each summer, he often goes to several gardens and lagoons in Hanoi and other provinces to take photos of lotus flowers, regardless of the weather.When is summer is going away, Phu has been to a lagoon in Gia Lam District and captured the moments of white lotus flowers for his album Sac Sen Cuoi Ha (The Shades Of Lotus At The End Of Summer) to show his love for the flower, which brings him inner peace.

A resident of Hanoi's Thanh Tri District, photographer Phu is an ardent lotus lover. Every summer, he frequents several gardens and waterlogged areas in Hanoi and neighboring provinces to take photographs of the national flower in various stages.

He says the flower evokes inner peace. As the latest summer winds down, Phu visited a lotus research center in Gia Lam District on Hanoi's outskirts to compile an album titled "Sac Sen Cuoi Ha" (The Shades of Lotus at the End of Summer). More than 100 species of lotuses bloom at the center at 234 Ngo Xuan Quang Street.

Ha often frequents to the center researching, experimenting and developing lotus flower genes on Ngo Xuan Quang Street, where more than 100 species of lotus flowers have bloomed.We are planting and conserving many precious lotus species of Vietnam and worldwide, from southern Dong Thap Province to Saigons Cu Chi District, central town of Hue, northern Bac Ninh Province, Hanois West Lake and other species of Asia, Australia and America, according to Le Tien Hiep, head of the center. He added the flowers and their beauty have attracted many tourists and photographers.

Le Tien Hiep, who heads the lotus research center, said: "We are planting and conserving many precious lotus species from Vietnam and the world - from the southern province of Dong Thap and Saigon's Cu Chi District, the central town of Hue, the northern province of Bac Ninh, Hanoi's West Lake and other species from other Asian countries, Australia and America." The place attracts many tourists and photographers every year, he added.

A white lotus in full bloom sheltered by leaves glinting in the summer sun.

The petals of this lotus flower carry a pink tinge at their top edges and a yellow shading at their bottom.

Another lotus species with pink and yellow shades are blooming.

Another lotus species with pink and yellow tinged buds get set to bloom.

A thousand-fetal lotus is showing off her pink beauty amid the greenery of Hanoi summer.

A "thousand-petal lotus" flaunts different shades of pink.

Pearly pink lotus flowers under the sun. Lotus season normally starts in late May and is over in early September, depending on the regions. However, the flowers are the most beautiful in June and especially September, when fall knocks on the door.

A dark pink lotus flower blooms alongside several buds.

Typically, the lotus season starts late May and lasts until early September, depending on the region. They are said to be at their beautiful best in June and in September, as autumn knocks on the door.