Buddhist temple brightened up with red cotton tree flowers

March is the time when the flowers of the cotton tree begin blooming. The brilliantly-coloured blooms at the Thay Temple on the outskirts of Hanoi help make the thousand-year-old Buddhist temple even more charming.

A cotton tree in full bloom near the front yard of the Thay Temple, located in Sai Son Commune in Quoc Oai District.
A cotton tree in full bloom near the front yard of the Thay Temple, located in Sai Son Commune in Quoc Oai District.

Visitors pose for photographs with a cotton tree in full bloom in the background.

The cotton tree is a tropical tree with a high and straight trunk, shedding their leaves in winter.

The flowers usually bloom in spring before the young leaves appear.

According to local residents, previously there were five cotton trees in the main temple grounds, located at the foot of a mountain.

But only one located on the left side of the temple has survived until the present day. Later two more trees were planted near the Nhat Tien Bridge.

Currently, two trees are in bloom while the third has yet to produce any flowers.

Red cotton flowers in front of the water pavilion, used for water puppetry performances.

The Thay Temple has two bridges called Nhat Tien and Nguyet Tien, both resembling a dragon’s moustache.

The two bridges were built following the orders of Phung Khac Khoan, a noted politician under the Le Dynasty, in 1602.

The Nhat Tien Bridge links to an islet with a small shrine dedicated to the goddesses of the Three Palaces. The Nguyet Tien Bridge links to a path leading to the mountain, where there is a small temple, the meditation place of the Ly Dynasty Zen Master Tu Dao Hanh.

Visitors pose with the ancient cotton tree in the front yard.

With no leaves on the tree, the blooming flowers look like bright flames, there to welcome summer.

These days, many photo enthusiasts have flocked to the temple to capture beautiful moments with the cotton trees.