Check out this white lotus pond on the outskirts of Hanoi

Lotus flowers are a national symbol of Vietnam, representing the country’s purity and strength to overcome adversity.

The white lotus pond, owned by Ta Thi Bich in Tam Hung Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi, is one of the first ones to blossom in the Vietnamese capital, springboarding it into the top of the local list of selfie hotspots.

“Lotus flowers are popular here, but they are usually pink. During a trip to [the central city of] Hue, I came across this pristine species of white lotus and decided to bring it home for planting,” Bich explained.

“At that time, I simply thought I would grow and sell the flowers to earn some income by putting in less effort than it takes to grow rice.”

Up to now, the lotus pond has existed for five years. Taking care of white lotus requires clean water for it to grow, as muddy water will kill it instantly, Bich said.

“White lotus blooms earlier than pink lotus. The season begins in early May and lasts until June.”

According to Bich, this is the first year visitors have made their way to the family’s lotus pond, and the influx of local tourists has been a big surprise.

“At first, some young visitors were impressed by the white lotus pond and asked for my permission to take pictures to post on the Internet. It was a real shock,” Bich said.

“That’s when we decided to stop harvesting the flowers and leave them in the pond for visitors to pose with. I’m very happy to see the delight on everyone’s face.”

Although she is a long-term resident of Tam Hung Commune, Nguyen Thi Ngoc, 28, said she has only recently learnt about the lotus pond.

“Today is my day off so my friends and I dressed up in ‘ao dai’ [a traditional Vietnamese dress] to take photos with the flowers,” Ngoc said.

“I have also taken photos with the lotus flowers in Ho Tay [West Lake], but the pink lotus flowers there are not as tall or abundant as the flowers here. It’s mesmerizing to see the white lotus flowers cover the entire pond.”

Selfie-lovers have also noted that Bich and her family charge a fair admission price of VND50,000 (US$2.20).

Bich said the family’s white lotus pond has welcomed about 40 to 50 visitors daily since the blooming season began.

“We live roughly 20 kilometers from here. I heard about the white lotus pond by word of mouth so we decided to visit it in the early morning,” said Dinh Hoai Nam, a resident of Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

“As the pond is on the outskirts, it still has an air of natural beauty. My son is very excited for it.”

 The white lotus pond has not only lured local visitors but it has also commanded the attention of many freelance photographers.

“I have captured the beauty of a lot of different flowers and visited a lot of places but this is my first experience with white lotus,” said Pham Dinh Manh, a photographer from the capital.

“The white lotus’ tall stem and its natural white color give me inspiration, not to mention the fresh air and pristine view here,” he added.

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