Hanoi announces autumn with cool weather, ripe crocodiles falling on the sidewalk of Phan Dinh Phung street, the smell of fragrant sticky rice on the street corner…

Vu Ngoc Thien, 33 years old, is a photographer in Thai Binh. He made autumn photos in Hanoi in mid-September, in the period from 10am to 12pm. He chose this time because the street is quite deserted because everyone is in working and during school hours, fewer people travel on the street than rush hour, can easily work.

The two main locations Thien chose to take photos were Sword Lake , the cathedral area and Phan Dinh Phung Street. “Hanoi is where I lived for four years as a student. So I have a certain affection for this land in general, and autumn in Hanoi in particular. That’s what prompted me to return to the capital. and took this set of photos”, he said about the reason he came to Hanoi to take pictures on an early autumn day.

Different from the hustle and bustle of life on busy roads, the lakeside area seems to be quieter. People leisurely walk along the pedestrian street, or sit still on stone benches placed around the lake, taking souvenir photos… This is also the time when the weather starts to be nice, so groups such as class meetings, anniversary celebrations .. . is more organized.

“I made the series according to what I feel about Hanoi’s autumn : the cold, the scent of milk flowers, a little dew on the lake surface, the season of the golden sun like pouring honey all over the streets. Autumn has a scent that is unique to me, which is difficult to describe in words, so I want to convey it through photos,” Thien shared.

The photographer said that the girl in this photo he did not know, just happened to take it. “After I posted the photos, she contacted me and said that it was her birthday,” Thien shared. This photo of a girl with a bunch of tana chrysanthemums that usually bloom around September-October every year is also a memorable memory for both of them: the photographer and the person being photographed.

Autumn is also associated with nuggets . Coming to Hanoi on this occasion, visitors can see many street vendors selling these specialties. The most popular type of com is Lang Vong nuggets, a typical product of Vong village, Dich Vong Hau ward, Cau Giay district.

Sticky rice with shredded coconut is also a favorite dish of many people in the autumn. This is also a dish only available in autumn. Com or sticky rice is usually wrapped in two layers of leaves. A layer of fresh leaves ensures that the dish does not dry out, the outermost layer is a layer of lotus leaves that still have a slight fragrance, tied with fresh yellow glutinous rice straw.

The photo was taken in front of the cathedral. Coming to Hanoi, visitors will encounter many street vendors selling flowers along the streets and flowers are sold seasonally. In addition to common flowers such as pink, in September visitors will see more chrysanthemums on sale, the summer lotus bouquets are only sporadic.

Hanoi in autumn has the typical green color of trees, instead of golden autumn like other places in the world. Thien likes to wander alone through the streets, capturing moments of people’s daily lives. The day Thien went to take pictures, it was cool, “correct” in the autumn weather when there was no longer the sweltering sun of summer, but it was not as cold as early winter.

In addition to Sword Lake, autumn in Hanoi is also recreated by the photographer through rows of fruit-laden crocodiles along Phan Dinh Phung Street. You can see a lot of people selling crocodiles on the sidewalk around this area.

Crocodile this season is at the end of the season, and the fruit is old and yellow. This is also a specialty that is loved by Southern tourists, bought as a gift when going to the tourist capital. In addition to beams, apricot umbrella is also a famous autumn gift of Hanoi.

Photo: Vu Ngoc Thien