There is a different Hanoi in the early summer days, when the first rays of the new season begin to gently spread over every street corner, when the air carries a bit of heat mixed with the cool echoes of the lingering spring days.
The typical atmosphere of summer
Hanoi in the early summer days has a gentle but energetic rhythm. In the early morning, the sky still has a pleasant cool air left over from the night, but when the sun rises high, the golden rays of sunlight begin to spread, and the typical heat also returns.
Hanoi in early summer is so beautiful it hurts the heart
These days, I love the feeling of stepping out into the street in the early morning, when the weather is not too hot, when the trees along the road still have a bit of dew, the small shops begin to open to welcome customers, and the streets of Hanoi officially wake up after a long night.
Small shops began to open to welcome customers, Hanoi streets officially woke up after a long night.
Walking on the old streets, I saw Hanoi begin to change with the weather, no longer the pleasant chill of spring days, but instead the brilliance of the golden sunlight imprinted on each brick-paved road.
The green trees on the street began to change leaves, a few young green leaves sparkling under the sunlight, creating a scene that was both peaceful and lively. Hanoians also gradually got used to the sunshine, the new atmosphere of the weather. Light, thin shirts, wide-brimmed hats began to appear more on the streets, all creating a very unique image of another approaching summer.
What do people remember about Hanoi's summer days
If Hanoi in autumn is beautiful and dreamy thanks to the gentleness of the weather, the aroma of young rice, the cold winds, the streets covered with yellow leaves, then Hanoi in the early summer days is fresh, vibrant but also very gentle.
I love the feeling of walking along the small streets, feeling the gentle movement of Hanoi, where the sunlight blends with the wind, where cars roll slowly on the road, where each streetside cafe starts to get more crowded.
Perhaps for each person, Hanoi in early summer will have its own beauty, but for me, it is a poetic blend of peace and brilliance, between the familiar features of the ancient city and the fresh breath of the dynamic, bustling season.
Early summer is also the time when Hanoi starts to bustle with its own unique gifts. It is the carts with baskets of sweet lychees, red like a small sun. It is the bowl of sweet and sour pickled dracontomelon at the beginning of the street, the childhood gift of many adults. The cries of women selling plums and green mangoes echo through every alley, evoking a very ordinary, very familiar Hanoi.
At noon, Hanoi is quieter than usual. The sun makes people slow down, the whole city seems to enter a break. But in those moments, Hanoi is beautiful in a different way - quiet, profound and poetic.
When the afternoon comes, the sun begins to set behind the rows of houses, Hanoi seems to put on a new coat, clearer and more dreamy. People pour out into the streets again, sitting by West Lake, Hoan Kiem Lake, or stopping by a roadside tea shop. A gentle breeze blows by, carrying the light scent of off-season milk flowers, or simply the smell of soil after a brief shower - very real, very close signs of Hanoi's summer.
Hanoi is beautiful this season
Hanoi in the early summer brings a subtle transition, not too bright but enough to make people's hearts flutter. Walking through each street, we can feel the changes of the city in every breath, every look.
This city, when summer comes, gently creeps into people's hearts through every moment - early morning, quiet noon, late afternoon and even at night.
If you have ever loved a dreamy Hanoi in autumn, then try to open your heart to a Hanoi in early summer - where the sun, the wind, the rows of trees, sugarcane juice carts, lilies... all blend together into a symphony of an ancient but vibrant city.
And who knows, in some aimless wandering in the early summer weather, you will find a very new Hanoi - a Hanoi of your own.
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CREDIT:
- Photography: Luan Nguyen
- Content: Giang Huynh
- Design: Phuong Nguyen