Things to Do
Red River Rock Flower Garden: Hanoi’s weirdest park
This local park is perfect for those that want to take a walk on the surreal side
The bustling streets, honking motorbikes and cars stampeding down the roads in Hanoi often leave you desperate to get away, an escape from the chaos being the only cure for those city blues. But what if you do not have time to take the train to Ninh Binh, or even the one hour drive to Ba Vi? If you need a break from the Hanoi noise it is worth checking out the Red River Rock Flower Garden (Bai Da Vuon Hoa Song Hong) in Tay Ho.
To be clear: this is not your typical flower garden. Instead it falls somewhere between Alice in Wonderland, Disney World and a gentrified impounding lot. Alongside beautiful river views, colorful flower meadows and a much-visited strawberry farm, the park is littered with strange effects such as disused cars, stranded boats and painted tires, all providing some positively bizarre photo opportunities.
If you can handle its hallucinogenic qualities, the park’s spot nestled by the Red River in acres of open fields make it perfect to while away the day reading, lolling in the sun or simply walking the dog. In spring and summer a variety of flowers are grown and people can walk along paths surrounded by an abundance of colors from yellow daisies to purple lilacs. It is easy to forget that here you are in the center of Hanoi.
Along the fields are quaint wooden seating areas equipped with tables and roofs for sunny or rainy days. Paths lead to whimsical huts hidden in tall grasses and cardboard castles adorned in hundreds of lanterns that look like a Vietnamese version of Mario World.
Locals come here to take photographs while dressed in an array of traditional Vietnamese costumes. If it could not get more magically weird, a rogue horse, sometimes several, can be seen galloping through the fields or eating straw next to a tree.
There are also food and drink stalls at the various shops along a strip, all at local prices. A stage is often set up here, and the gardens are sometimes used for weddings. Take advantage of the costume hire shop to get in a few phots for that perfectly bizarre Instagram post. Get away from reality for awhile and step inside this offbeat fairy tale garden in Hanoi, a hidden peculiar gem in the midst of the chaos.
Ngõ 264 Âu Cơ, Nhật Tân, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội
50,000 VND
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day
+84 90 255 88 99
