For connoisseurs, water lilies are not only for sightseeing, but also for waiting - waiting for the moment when flowers bloom right at the moment of New Year's Eve.
The pure spring scent of old Hanoi people
Peeling water lilies is a flower hobby that has existed for a long time, reminiscent of a time when eating, dressing, and playing were all refined into art, especially during Tet days. In the past, this hobby was associated with noble, wealthy families and intellectuals; the pot of water lilies blooming right at the beginning of the year was considered a sign of luck, fortune and prosperity.
Water lilies impress with their elegant beauty, white petals, delicate yellow pistils, once likened to "jade trays and golden cups". The flower scent is also very unique: Not radiating strong when close, but only spreading lightly in the living space, sometimes near and sometimes far. Thanks to the harmonious convergence of the beauty of flowers, roots, leaves, shape and scent, water lilies are classified as "five-part" flowers, becoming a delicate feature in the old Tet atmosphere.
The hobby of playing water lilies in Vietnam has appeared for a long time. Over time, water lilies have integrated into spiritual life, becoming a cultural feature that is not widespread but persistently exists, especially in the Tet space of Hanoi people.
Mr. Tong Hong Cam (Bac Ninh) - who has more than 10 years of experience playing water lilies, said: "Playing water lilies is not a common hobby in ancient Vietnamese society, but for Hanoians, it is almost an indispensable flower during Tet. No matter how busy they are, on the last day of the year, people try to arrange to have a pair of water lilies bowls in the house. For many families, if there is a water lily bowl in the New Year's Eve, it is considered a sign of a lucky and fulfilling new year.
Not as brilliant as peach blossoms, not as passionate as chrysanthemums, water lilies are present humbly but delicately. It is this purity and discreetness that makes this flower stick with families who value a gentle and moderate lifestyle, considering Tet not only as a time of reunion but also an opportunity to settle down and be introverted.
From meticulous pruning to preserving a hobby
Unlike many Tet flowers that only need to be bought for display, playing water lilies is a laborious process, requiring patience and accumulated experience. To create a water lily artwork, players must go through 3 main stages: pruning, care and arrangement - enjoying.
The pruning stage is the starting point, and also the biggest challenge. Players use specialized tools to separate the bulb shell, reveal the shoots, thereby intentionally impacting the leaves and stems to create shapes and forms. Each bulb is a different "problem", requiring players to both master the technique and be flexible according to the biological characteristics of each bulb.
Mr. Tong Hong Cam shared: "Picking water lilies requires very high concentration. Each knife line must be precise and meticulous, because just peeling into a flower bag can damage a part or the whole flower bulb. This is a step that cannot be rushed.
After pruning, the care period lasts from 18 to more than 20 days. The flower bulbs are completely raised with clean water, replaced periodically, combined with monitoring the development of leaves and stems to shape and adjust the shape. This is a stage that takes a lot of time and effort, but directly determines the durability, fragrance and beauty of the flowers when displayed.
When the flowers are about to bloom, players enter the arrangement stage. Bowls, vases, plates, dong ky and accompanying accessories are carefully selected to honor the pure beauty of water fairies, while expressing the aesthetic taste and cultural depth of players.
It is very difficult to have an absolute standard for a beautiful water lily pot, because that depends on each person's aesthetic taste. But in general, flowers and leaves must be healthy, with white, long, smooth roots. Flowers bloom evenly, tubers are clean, not bruised, and the overall flower - leaf - root - display items must create a harmonious composition," Mr. Cam noted.
Having gone through historical upheavals, the hobby of water lilies once had a long period of absence. But in the past 10 years, water lilies are gradually being revived strongly, with an increasingly large community of players, diverse in age, occupation and aesthetic style.
Attached to this flower for many years, Mr. Tong Hong Cam said that he was destined to learn the craft from Mr. Nguyen Phu Cuong - who belonged to the first generation and devoted a lot of enthusiasm to restoring the hobby of water lilies in Hanoi. Continuing that wish, every year, he and flower lovers organize many activities to share techniques, display and exhibit, contributing to bringing this elegant hobby back to community cultural life.
Among the myriad of brilliant flowers every Spring, water lilies still conquer players with their elegant beauty and cultural depth. That restraint helps this flower persistently exist over time, as a reminder of the old Tet - where beauty is not in ostentation, but in the respect for values nurtured with effort and patience.
