These days, West Lake is busier than usual because the bach diep lotus ponds are covered with blossoms. People out for an early morning walk beside the lake slow their step to soak in the scene. Young people get up early to enjoy the flowers, sometimes donning traditional attire to take selfies among the blooms.

The lotus season is short, lasting about two months from May to July, but it’s the most eagerly awaited floral season of the year. The lotus is considered a symbol of purity and grace and has an unforgettable lingering fragrance.

Hanoian Dang Tran Thuy Ngoc said that the lotus season in Hanoi is full of nostalgic beauty.

“The subtle fragrance drifting through the streets, the lotus vendors with their baskets of flowers, and the West Lake lotus ponds all evoke the traditions of the capital city. Photos containing lotuses always have a soft elegance, whether it’s a selfie in an ao dai or a close-up of a single bloom,” said Ngoc.

Hanoi has many lotus ponds, but only the West Lake ponds and a few others that draw water from the Red River produce the strong fragrance needed for lotus tea. When the bach diep lotuses reach full bloom, families like that of Nguyen Van Truyen begin their lotus tea-making season. Each flower is carefully handled to produce Hanoi’s luxury tea, said Truyen.

“After 6 a.m., the petals open wide and much of the fragrance is lost. The flowers can also lose their leaves if they are transported after that. That’s why we have to harvest before 6 a.m. A number of families process the flowers right at the pond, others at home. The longer the stem retains water, the more nutrients stay in the bloom. That’s a secret.”

There are two main methods of making lotus tea. First is “uop xoi”, a quick infusion technique, in which tea is placed directly into the freshly opened lotus flower. The tea is retrieved the next morning.

The second method uses extracted lotus stamens to infuse the tea. Lotus stamens are the tiny white fragrant particles from the lotus pistil and the part that contains the fragrance of the flower. In this method, layers of lotus stamen and tea are alternated until all the tea is used. To scent one kilo of tea requires about 1,000 flowers. Each family has its own recipe, often involving multiple rounds of scenting and drying, a meticulous process called “weaving the lotus fragrance”.

Truyen said lotus tea has a very special flavor and aroma and embodies the refined way that Hanoi’s people enjoy tea.

He told VOV, “We scent the tea with fresh lotus stamens three times, on average. After each round, the tea must be dried before another layer of scenting. Some families scent the tea seven times. The more refined the process, the deeper and longer-lasting the flavor.”

Sipping a warm cup of tea, lotus lovers feel a deep inner peace. Tran Dieu Thuy, a devoted lotus enthusiast, finds the scent deeply therapeutic.

That’s why every lotus season she gets up early and heads to West Lake to pick a fresh, beautiful lotus to bring home. Many enjoy elaborate floral arrangements, but Thuy prefers a simple, natural style to fully appreciate the lotus’s beauty.

She told VOV that every corner of her home is filled with lotus flowers, adding, “Enjoying the lotus is addictive. Waking up to a home filled with the scent of fresh lotus gives you an incredible sense of calm. Just sitting in that space with a cup of tea and the scent of the lotus is enough to melt stress away.”

The short lotus season leaves a lasting impression. Early morning scenes of blooming ponds with their delicate pink and white flowers and their unforgettable fragrance are etched in the memories of many Hanoians, evoking a nostalgia that is revived year after year.