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This year’s leaf market was hosted by the People’s Committee, the Women’s Union, and the Youth Union in Phu Binh Ward, Long Khanh City, Dong Nai Province and featured 23 booths selling 33 kinds of food, drinks, and goods. Visitors to the marketplace were given three leaves each which they could exchange for products. By the end of the day, most booths had sold out of their products, leaving only happy vendors with handfuls of leaves. Local authorities sample products at the Leaf Market in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam  for food safety testing. Photo: A.Loc / Tuoi Tre “The market was interesting and special because it was so unique. Dishes were free but clean and tasty,” said local resident Tran Thi Thong Nhat. “I hope similar markets will be held in the future.” The vendors who participated in the market did so simply because they enjoyed sharing their food and drinks with others.   “I brought 600 servings of banh troi nu...

March is the time for Hoa Gao or Bombax Ceiba, which literally means “rice flower” in Vietnamese.  All the old leaves fall off, leaving the tree with only flowers. The trees now look like a burning torch with hundreds of red flames. The enchanting red color of the blooming flowers reminds Hanoians of their childhood. The quiet happiness of the old days when the street was still almost empty and modern high-rise buildings had not yet obscured the beauty of Bombax Ceiba.  Once a year at the end of March, the “rice flower” trees at Thay Pagoda in Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District, Hanoi, bloom, creating a unique beauty for the ancient Buddhist temple. The bright red color of the flower helps to dispel the gloomy weather of the late Spring days and lights a small fire of joy in the viewer. From afar, visitors can admire the Hoa Gao tree on the shore of the iconic Sword Lake. The bright red color of the blosso...