Cultural flower tour opens

By Lê Hương

Hà Nội-based travel company Asia Exotica has just launched a new service offering tourists a chance to experience Hanoians’ long history of floral tradition.

Guests will learn about the art of flower arrangement as offerings used in Buddhism, ancestor veneration and lunar festivities, which has been practised for hundreds of years.

The art combines many beautiful and fragrant traditional flowers, such as jasmine, lotus, champaka, areca, and lotus, and arranges them in a special esthetical and artistic way in a bamboo basket or large leaf and then offers them to an altar for praying.

The tour aims to attract foreign tourists in Hà Nội. — Photo Mạnh Hà

Hanoians use spiritual flowers for all occasions according to the lunar calendar, placing flower sets on the family altar, bringing them to the pagoda or even as a gift to show respect and gratitude. This beautiful tradition is now fading in modern urban life.

Bùi Băng Giang, founder of flower service Comida Ngon, and also the manager of Asia Exotica Việt Nam, said that by joining the tour, visitors can learn about the spiritual life of Vietnamese people, get to know the exotic fragrances of oriental flowers and understand aromas.

“Tourists can also learn how to arrange flowers themselves with the guidance of local artists,” she said.

“This is a beautiful experience for all travellers to Hà Nội.”

Visitors will learn to arrange flowers in Vietnamese style. — Photo Mạnh Hà