These days, the road surface temperature is very high, especially on roads without perennial trees such as Nguyen Chi Thanh, Truong Chinh, Trang Tien streets… the temperature always fluctuates from 40 – 50 degrees Celsius. In order to escape the “burning” heat, many passers-by have chosen the route to go through some streets with shady trees. Walking under these ancient tree-lined streets, it is possible to find some fresh and cool air in a series of horrible suffocating days. The line of beautiful, straight black star trees on Lo Duc Street brings a feeling of closeness to nature and shade for the whole neighborhood on hot summer days. Ly Dao Thanh Street has two rows of old trees that always give shade to the road surface. Phan Dinh Phung Street has rows of ancient green crocodiles. Summer comes, the whole street is immersed in a cool space under thick foliage, making it difficult for the midday sun to penetrate. The temperature recorded at noon time on streets with many old trees was much lower than the temperature measured at the same time on roads without trees. The shady tree line helps pedestrians to somewhat reduce the “burning skin” heat. People with bare heads, walk on Phan Dinh Phung street at noon without fear of the sun. The shade of green trees on Tran Phu street not only creates a beautiful landscape but also becomes a “shield” on hot Hanoi days. The green canopy blocks the sun, helps to regulate the air, and combats the stuffiness of harsh summer weather.

Around mid-May, crocodiles have been sold on the streets. This year, around mid-May, the crocodile pickers have started working. These days, walking along the streets of Tran Hung Dao, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang Dieu, Tran Phu, Ba Trieu… it is easy to see the image of sellers sitting on the sidewalk, next to a big bag of crocodiles to greet customers. Purchase. Crocodile season’s livelihood at the expense of life When the sound of the car horns became less and less, the quiet night fell, the crocodile picker with a simple tool of a hook and a sack began to climb the tree to pick crocodiles. Mr. Long, a crocodile-picker for many years on Phan Dinh Phung street, said: “The time to pick crocodiles usually starts from 3am to 5am – 6am, both to avoid the authorities and to keep the people in time. Stop by to go to work and buy groceries.” Crocodile-picking is a dangerous, seasonal job, the amount of money of several hundred thousand and millions earned is a gamble with life. Crocodile tree is inherently brittle, small crocodile branches are very easy to break; Moreover, the crocodile trees on the streets of Hanoi have mostly been grown for many years, some trees are up to 30-40 m tall, so it is very difficult for people to pick. The “crocodile workers” mainly rely on experience, climbing and picking without protective gear, so the risk of falling and being injured is very high. They chose the job of picking crocodiles that was both dangerous, “sneaky”, and uninsured, a job that in the old days people still called with an unfriendly attitude – “the tamarind, the crocodile climber”, also just because of only two words “for a living”. When we asked the crocodile sellers if they were afraid of danger, many just laughed. “It takes a long time to get used to climbing, you have to try and take advantage of it! Crocodile season only lasts about 2-3 months, so we have to try to pick as much as possible, take advantage of earning extra income and send it back to our family, “said Mr. Long. A customer buys crocodiles on Phan Dinh Phung street. On average, a crocodile-picker can pick 20-25kg of crocodiles per day, groups of 3-5 people can collect more crocodiles. Hoai’s family (from Thanh Hoa) will divide the work, at dawn her husband picks crocodiles, in the morning, he does other jobs such as driving motorbike taxis, collecting rice water, …; And she will sell alligators during the day, when will she return. Hoai said: “This year because of the epidemic, few people went out, so they sold less than every year, and the price of crocodiles also decreased. Like last year, my family sold 50-60 thousand/kg of crocodile, but this year the disease caused the price of crocodile at the beginning of the crop to be 40,000/kg, now it only fluctuates in the range of 30-35 thousand/kg.” Thus, the average daily income of people who pick crocodiles is from 500 to 600 thousand VND, at peak times can be up to millions of dollars. Crocodile pickers are poor laborers Although the work of picking crocodiles is hard, it brings a high income for poor workers like Mr. Long. Income from a crocodile crop is about several tens of millions of dong, which is a large amount of money to help them cover their daily lives. Mr. Long looked at the bags of crocodiles displayed on the sidewalk and said: “Doing this job is hard work but it is worth it, after doing it for a long time, I feel love and miss! But crocodiles do not have to bear fruit all year round, just take advantage of the beginning of May and June every year to earn a little more. The functional forces also remind us all the time, because they are afraid of climbing and falling, but if the crocodile stays on the tree forever, it will also grow old, it will be a waste to fall down.” Crocodile pickers are all self-employed. Most of the crocodile pickers are laborers from the provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, etc. They are self-employed manual laborers in Hanoi. Some people work as assistants, some work as drivers, shine shoes, … only when the crocodile season comes, they pull together along the streets with crocodiles to make a living. At the end of the crocodile season, they resume their work in the year. Anh Hung (32 years old, from Thanh Hoa) works as a motorbike taxi driver, every time he takes a break from work to pick crocodiles with some brothers in the group. Thanks to harvesting crocodiles, he has money to cover his living expenses and send money back to his hometown for his children to study. Hung said that crocodiles can only be picked on sunny days, when it rains, the tree can’t be climbed. “Looks like it’s going to rain in a few days, we have to take advantage of the sunny day to pick up a little more to sell to make money”, Mr. Hung told us while selling. “This Hanoi crocodile is very popular with many people, not like the forest crocodile, its shell is thick, rough, the water is acrid, not as pure and domestic as the Hanoi crocodile. Look at this, this crocodile has just been picked, the stem is still full of plastic, the bite sounds crispy in the mouth, it’s been eaten!” – A salesman eagerly greets customers. Crocodile fruit – a typical gift of Ha Thanh. Phuong (25 years old, Ba Dinh) said: “I like crocodiles because they taste clean, not as harsh as lemons. Taking advantage of the crocodile season, I have to go to the tree to buy fresh crocodiles, but at the market, all crocodiles come from the provinces, the taste is not as good as my Hanoi crocodile. This season, I buy crocodiles to cook soup and make drinking water for the whole family.” Hanoi crocodile, a typical gift of the capital, is both a “fishing rod” of poor workers. That idyllic fruit is a gift from mother nature, also a sweat and hard work, which must be exchanged with the life of the crocodile-picker. Another season of crocodiles has returned, and the lives of people who make a living are busy again.

Early in the summer, many Hanoi routes seemed to change a new shirt with yellow alligator leaves. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) When the lilies was not in time, Hanoi welcomed another season, the ‘season of flying crocodile leaves.’ Exotic plants that do not fall in the fall choose the time of season and change their leaves. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Always the same, before summer, many streets of Hanoi are lost in autumn pictures with carpet of fallen crocodile leaves covering people’s steps. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) No need to go anywhere, around the small street corners, falling crocodile leaves forming brilliant lemon yellow rugs. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) The streets of the Capital thus become romantic, and stirring up many hearts. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) In just a few days, sometimes through a rain, the crocodile trees suddenly shed their leaves on the pavement. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Strolling around the streets of Tran Phu, Phan Dinh Phung, Dien Bien Phu, and Hoang Dieu, we suddenly see a dreamy, exotic Hanoi. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) After the early rain, the crocodiles on Phan Dinh Phung Street shed more leaves. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Yellow leaves fell in waves, layers alternately arranged into a large, beautiful carpet. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) The small street corner suddenly lit up in the early summer. Even after falling, crocodile leaves still beautify the streets by the characteristic golden color. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) The pavement along Le Thanh Tong Street is covered with yellow leaves. This is a favorite place to walk, practice sports of Hanoi people. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) h The yellow leaf carpet crunched every step through. Also because of that very own beauty, people have not yet swept away. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) At the end of April and early May, the capital was already very romantic under the fall of the crocodile leaves, adding more poetic love. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) And the fall of the crocodile leaves season also passes quickly, just a week, when people have not had time to see it, the season has passed leaving many regrets. Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Hanoi now wears a yellow, poetic yellow shirt. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Over time, the flying crocodile leaves become a feature of Hanoi every seasonal occasion. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) In Hanoi, the crocodile tree is a popular shade tree. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Walking under the streets of Hanoi in the season of crocodile leaves, we feel like being lost in a romantic, fresh film. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Along the streets are rows of old crocodiles. Only a gentle breeze passed, the yellow alligator leaves falling and falling on the street corner. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Watching the golden leaves season, you will fully feel the tranquility and tenderness of Hanoi. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) Many young people take advantage of this occasion to preserve emotional photos that keep a typical leafy season. (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +) (Photo: Minh Son / Vietnam +)

The season of mid-April is probably the best moment. The rows of trees in the change of leaves make the familiar street corner become strangely beautiful. White lilies flower bouquets stand out on the yellow “grass” along the sidewalk. This is also a suitable time, when the sun is not too hot and it is not too hot, for people to come take pictures Along the street you will find lilies for rent to take pictures. Lilies are considered one of the symbols of April The owner of this trumpet bicycle shared that guests often come to Phan Dinh Phung Street to take photos the most on weekends, especially when it is sunny Yellow leaves covered the corner of Dang Dung – Phan Dinh Phung street On both sides of the wide sidewalk, visitors can find many shooting angles without fear of people Lilies are displayed for sale right on Phan Dinh Phung street, the front section of Cua Bac church for convenience for those who come to take pictures without “accessories”. To save the moment of changing season typical of Ha Thanh, many tourists and photographers come here. Customers often leave their car in front of Cua Bac Church and walk along the road to find the best picture Many people come here to take pictures and capture the beautiful moments on the most romantic street of Hanoi. But there are also people who come here to watch, walk and enjoy the cool weather before the hot summer days come This is also the occasion chosen by many people to take family photos Most people choose to wear ao dai or gentle dresses, suitable for the romantic, poetic scene on this street.