Golden harvest in the old town
In Hanoi's autumn, the golden sunshine no longer carries the hot air. The cool, gentle wind passes through, smooth the skin, making people just want to stand under the trees for a long time, inhaling the rare fresh air of the most beautiful season of the year.
The ancient shops along Phan Dinh Phung and Hoang Dieu streets are still green, with only a few yellow dots as if signaling the upcoming changing seasons. Under the canopy of the old trees, many women wear ao dai, posing next to flower cars, taking advantage of the most beautiful moments in the most beautiful season of the year.
In small street corners, the smell of milk flowers occasionally passes, not as strong as at the beginning of the season but is lighter, blending into the air. Amidst the rush of traffic, still hearing someone away from coffee cups and cups of tea at street corners, the loud chatting around the sidewalkwaters - small sounds but making the capital extremely lively and familiar.
On the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake or the Great Church, it is easy to see Western visitors wearing backpacks, holding cameras, staring at the golden sunlight. They are curious about street vendors, stopping to buy some sticky rice, learning from Vietnamese people to order a cup of fresh beer or enjoy a cup of fragrant egg coffee in a small shop on the side of the road.
For many Hanoians who have passed the age of five, Autumn always evokes old emotions. Every free afternoon, we gather with old friends in the old town, drinking a glass of tea, biting the sun, talking all kinds of things - about youth, work, children... and laughing again because time passes so quickly, Ms. Thu Thuy (56 years old, Hanoi) shared.
She said that the thup of Hanoians is to sit in the cold weather, hear the wind blowing through the trees, watch people pass by and let their hearts go gently in the bustling pace of life. Autumn makes everyone want to slow down their life, to see Hanoi as peaceful and poetic as ever.
For young people from other places, Hanoi's autumn is a journey of discovery. Like Ngoc Tu, a 9X guy from Quang Ninh, confided: I like the autumn atmosphere of Hanoi, the scenery when it comes back, especially the golden sunshine and the chilly monsoon. At times like that, I was inspired to take my camera out on the street, capturing every beautiful moment of the capital.
Autumn is also the time when Hanoi slows down. Everything seemed to calm down. At the coffee shop by the lake, people sit silently watching the sparkling water, reflecting on the rolling waves. On the edge of the lake, people strolling leisurely, laughter, chatter blending with the wind, creating a very peaceful scene in the heart of the city.
full of Autumn Flavors
Autumn is the time when Hanoi is most fragrant and flavorful. The streets of the ward give off the pleasant smell of green rice, of fragrant flowers, sweet fruits and even dishes that are only available. The aroma of green rice - sticky, sweet, thanh - combined with the scent of lotus leaves, blends with the scent of milk flowers and the cool breeze, creating the "smell of Hanoi" that only comes in mid-Autumn.
Autumn makes familiar dishes more delicious than usual. A bowl of cool snail noodle soup, light and sour broth, a little red chili, eaten in a very delicious and cool weather. Or a plate of fragrant and fragrant crab sausage with the smell of fennel, tangerine peel, fried until crispy, fatty without fading is an ideal choice for an afternoon gathering.
If you sit next to a small street vendor, enjoy a bowl of hot snails, a plate of sweet and sour dried beef salad or simply a fried and crispy fried banh xeo, all the worries will soon disappear.
As the night begins to pass, Hanoi puts on another beauty - quiet and sparkling. The lights from the windows, from the cafes, from the rows of trees along the lake intertwined, reflecting on the water surface, make the city like a sparkling lacquer painting. The sound of the wind, the sound of laughter, the sound of footsteps blend together, creating a gentle symphony of the street.
At the end of October, when the sunlight leans towards golden brown, when the wind has chilly and the milk flowers gradually fade away, we know that Autumn is taking its final steps before winter. But at that time, Hanoi was most beautiful - sparkling, gentle and plump like a note in the four seasons of music.
