Dreamy colors of kapok flowers in March

Every March, as the cold weather gives way to the last drizzles of spring, the red blossoms of the kapok tree burst forth from villages to cities throughout Northern Vietnam.

Under the canopy of blooming kapok flowers. Photo: Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa

The kapok tree, also known as Bombax ceiba or specifically in the Central Highlands, is a common tree in the villages of Northern Vietnam. Large, majestic kapok trees stand tall at the edge of villages, by riverbanks, along rivers, or next to ancient temples and pagodas; some even grow alone in the middle of fields. The tree is tall, with a wide canopy and a gnarled trunk, shedding all its leaves during the flowering season.

Without flamboyant display, the kapok tree blossoms quietly. Sometimes, overnight, the flowers illuminate a corner of the sky like torches, marking the transition from spring to summer. In the memories of many, the kapok tree is often associated with images of old villages – with village courtyards and wells… Under the kapok tree, people could rest, chat after a day of working in the fields, or enjoy a cup of green tea or local treats at the village teahouse.

For photography enthusiasts, the kapok flower season becomes a special "meeting point" in Northern Vietnam before each sunny summer. Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa, from Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the photographers who recently embarked on a completely spontaneous journey to "hunt" for kapok flowers.

“I didn’t have a specific plan for this trip. Initially, after a long journey through Northwest Vietnam, my friend and I decided to detour to Ninh Binh for a change of scenery. But it happened to be the season for kapok flowers, so the itinerary almost completely changed direction – wherever we saw a kapok tree, we stopped to take pictures, regardless of whether it was morning, noon, or afternoon,” he shared.

The vibrant red blossoms of the kapok tree bloom near Thầy Pagoda, Hanoi . Photo: Nguyễn Khánh Vũ Khoa

A farmer in Yen Mo, Ninh Binh. Photo: Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa

The kapok flower season lasts about half a month, until the end of March or the beginning of April. Photo: Nguyen Khanh Vu Khoa

In Ninh Binh, Khoa focused on two locations: Yen Mo and the Bich Dong Pagoda area. The blooming season of the kapok tree in Yen Mo brought many surprises, from the journey to finding the location to accessing the setting. “Initially, I considered it a reconnaissance trip, taking photos and observing, but I hadn't really figured out what I wanted to photograph. The next day, I returned at noon to photograph the kapok trees; I expected it to be quiet, but it was very crowded. In the end, the whole group had to wait for over an hour to get a completely clear frame,” he said.

It was during that waiting period that a very ordinary detail became the highlight of the photo series. “I noticed an old woman selling drinks nearby and asked her to pose for the photo. For me, a photo only truly has soul when it includes a local person, and her naturalness gave the photo its spirit,” the photographer from Ho Chi Minh City shared.

The journey to photograph the kapok blossom season continued through many locations such as Bich Dong, Trang An, Hang Mua... to the former Ha Nam (Ninh Binh), and Hanoi. For him, the most valuable thing is not a perfect set of photos, but the experience.

“I wasn’t chasing sunsets or waiting for the golden hour. On this trip, I embraced spontaneous moments – I photographed whatever came my way, and if I got a beautiful photo, I was lucky. But thanks to that, I felt more deeply the peacefulness of the Northern Vietnamese countryside and its people,” Khoa said.

In the eyes of the photographer from Ho Chi Minh City, the people in the rural areas of Northern Vietnam are endearing, simple, and sincere, just like the farmers he has met on his journeys through Central and Southern Vietnam. The women and mothers are always willing to help visitors from afar and warmly welcome them.

The impromptu trip during the flowering season was a "healing" journey – it was Khoa's first time photographing rural villages in a completely free, unplanned way, without too many expectations, other than capturing what he truly felt. Next spring, he plans to return to Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen... to capture the beauty of Northern Vietnamese villages under the vibrant red blossoms of the kapok tree.

Source: https://laodong.vn/du-lich/kham-pha/mong-mo-sac-hoa-gao-thang-ba-1671745.html