Hanoi’s summer is welcomed by not only the songs of cicadas, the calls of koels and the reddish hues of flamboyant flowers, but also the bright purple tones of giant crape-myrtle flowers, known in Vietnamese as bang lang.
Giant crape-myrtle flowers add a touch of purple to the summer of Hanoi every May.
The purple flowers help to make the atmosphere more pleasant on the city’s frequent scorching hot days.
A street section is naturally decorated with giant crape-myrtle flowers.
The giant crape-myrtle is a native plant of India, hence its other name, Pride of India. Each flower has six petals 2-3.5 centimetres long.
Giant crape-myrtles are densely planted on streets such as Kim Ma, Tran Thai Tong and Tho Nhuom.
The purple flowers dotted around the streets make the summer of Hanoi a memorable scene.
Bustling life goes on under the trees while the purple flowers flaunt their exquisite beauty above.
After fully blooming, the rich colours of giant crape-myrtle flowers begin to fade and finally fall off from their branches altogether.
The striking purplish hues of giant crape-myrtle flowers add a touch of colour to the summer of Hanoi.
Nhan Dan