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The roads ablaze with red amidst the sea of forests.
There are plenty of places with flamboyant trees, but the flamboyant trees in Vung Tau – a coastal area now part of Ho Chi Minh City – have a very unique beauty. Their vibrant red blossoms bloom not only along the streets but also amidst the forests, on the mountain slopes, and against the backdrop of the deep blue sea and sky.
The vibrant red of the flamboyant tree blossoms against the green backdrop of mountains and sea in Vung Tau ward.
These days, the road leading up to the Vung Tau lighthouse on Nho Mountain has become an ideal place to admire the flowers. At the bend about 500 meters from the base of the lighthouse, a large flame tree spreads its branches wide, its blossoms thick and vibrant like a summer torch. This is a favorite stop for many, including Nguyen Tran Hieu, who still remembers every part of the road he traveled since childhood.
The flame tree is in full bloom at the bend 500 meters from the base of the lighthouse.
The higher you climb, the more captivating the scenery becomes. At the foot of the lighthouse is a row of about 20-30 flame trees in full bloom. The vibrant red color overwhelms the green, blending with the sky and sea to create a dazzling summer scene. Along the path, a few small drink stalls are set up under the shade of the trees. Tourists stop to enjoy a refreshing drink, admire the flowers, and feel the sea breeze rustling through the leaves.
Sometimes along the way, mountain monkeys would unexpectedly jump around. According to Hieu, they are quite docile, but it's best to keep your distance. "I once stopped my car just to watch them swinging from branches under the blooming flame trees. It felt like I was suddenly pulled into a very vivid summer movie scene," he said.
The flame trees at the foot of the lighthouse are in full bloom.
In Vung Tau, the flame trees begin to bloom in early May, reaching their peak in June when the trees shed almost all their leaves, leaving clusters of bright red flowers illuminating the sky. In July, when the new leaves turn green again, the flowers remain vibrant, even more striking against the green backdrop of the forest.
The vibrant red of the flame tree blossoms stands out even more against the green backdrop of the foliage.
Memories flood back under the canopy of the flame tree.
Nguyen Tran Hieu was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, but he has a whole region of memories connected to Vung Tau, where every summer became a meeting place for him and his mother. Back then, from Bach Dang wharf, the two of them would board a hydrofoil (a type of boat that is now out of service) and head straight out to sea.
"I vividly remember the feeling of sitting on the boat, gazing at the water bathed in sunlight, with the wind blowing strongly through the window. Each time, it marked the beginning of a true summer," Hieu recounted.
The view of Vung Tau and the flamboyant trees from Nho Mountain.
When he was a child, Vung Tau for Hieu was more than just the sea. It was about leisurely bicycle rides along Tran Phu and Thuy Van streets, about climbing Nho Mountain at noon, looking up at the statue of Christ the King with outstretched arms under the sun, with the vibrant red blossoms of the flame trees below illuminating a corner of the sky. The seaside city back then was gentle, lovable, and very open to children.
For Hieu, the season of flamboyant flowers is not just a symbol of saying goodbye to school days, but also a season of joy, excitement, and the feeling of escaping the daily grind with his mother. It's about mornings swimming in the sea, afternoons cycling, eating crab and rice noodle soup at street vendors on the beach, and evenings listening to the waves lapping against the hotel window. All of this is packed into a few weeks of summer vacation, but enough to leave a lasting impression for decades.
The statue of Christ the King stands with outstretched arms amidst blossoming flame trees.
Vung Tau is very different now; there are no more hydrofoils or bicycles, only cars and tourist buses. My mother is getting old, and Hieu is busy with work. The excitement I felt before each summer vacation is gone. But just seeing the flamboyant trees bloom brings back so many memories.
“I still return to Vung Tau whenever I can, even though it has become a ward of Ho Chi Minh City. Everything has changed, but I can still find fragments of old memories – a familiar seat under the flame tree from years ago, a bend in the road still covered in red flowers like when I was a child,” Hieu said.
The streets are still ablaze with the vibrant red of the flame tree blossoms, just as they were in my memory 20 years ago.
In recent years, Hieu's mother, Ms. Lan Huong, has occasionally returned to Vung Tau about once or twice a year, but he rarely has the opportunity to go with her. Hieu is still hoping for an opportunity one day, during the season when the flamboyant trees bloom, to return with his mother to that familiar place in his memories, to return to those carefree summer days.
With each passing summer, there may be some changes in boundaries, some new constructions, or expanded roads. But some things remain the same: the vibrant red of the flamboyant flowers on Nho Mountain, the breezy afternoons by the sea, and a child standing silently beneath the old tree, reminiscing about the days their mother took them out to play.
The flame tree blossoms in Vung Tau are like a key that unlocks the door of time, taking us back to the past.
For Hieu, the flamboyant trees of Vung Tau are not just a season of flowers, but a gateway that takes him back to his childhood, where his youth comes alive in every sea breeze, every red petal falling on his shoulder.
