Vietnam
In Vietnam, due to the beauty of the tree and its flowers, the word mai is used to name girls. The largest hospital in Hanoi is named Bach Mai (white plum blossom), another hospital in Hanoi is named Mai Huong (the scent of plum), situated in Hong Mai (pink plum blossom) street. Hoang Mai (yellow plum blossom) is the name of a district in Hanoi. Bach Mai is also a long and old street in Hanoi. All these places are located in the south part of Hanoi, where, in the past, many P. mume trees were grown.
Due to its characteristics, beautiful flowers and a tall, slender tree, mai is used to describe the beauty of women in expressions such as "Mình hạc xương mai" - crane's body, plum's bones, and "Gầy như mai" - as slender as a plum tree.
Hồ Quý Ly wooed and won Princess Nhất Chi Mai of the Trần king after seeing a parallel couplet. Nhất Chi Mai is the name of the princess, but also means a branch of mai, implying a beautiful girl.
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Thanh Thử điện tiền thiên thụ quế
Quảng Hàn cung lý Nhất Chi Mai.Thanh Thu palace, thousands of cinnamon trees here
Quang Han palace, Nhat Chi Mai there.
The Zen monk Mãn Giác (1052–1096) composed a poem "Cáo tật thị chúng" (meaning: Report of my illness):
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Xuân khứ bách hoa lạc
Xuân đáo bách hoa khai
Sự trục nhãn tiền qúa
Lão tùng đầu thượng lai
Mạc vị xuân tàn hoa lạc tận
Đình tiền tạc dạ nhất chi maiSpring goes, hundreds of flowers fall.
Spring comes, hundreds of flowers blossom.
In front of the eyes, everything goes on ever.
On the heads, showing the year of age soon comes.
Who can say when spring ends, all flowers fall down?
Last night, in front-yard, a branch of plum flower blossomed.
In this poem, nhất chi mai serves as a metaphor for hope.
The mai used to celebrate the new year in the south, similar to the peach in the north, is not P. mume but a different plant, Ochna integerrima.
Read more about this topic: Ume, Cultural Significance
Famous quotes containing the word vietnam:
“No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.”
—Richard M. Nixon (b. 1913)
“I told them I’m not going to let Vietnam go the way of China. I told them to go back and tell those generals in Saigon that Lyndon Johnson intends to stand by our word, but by God, I want something for my money. I want ‘em to get off their butts and get out in those jungles and whip hell out of some Communists. And then I want ‘em to leave me alone, because I’ve got some bigger things to do right here at home.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
“That’s just the trouble, Sam Houston—it’s always my move. And damnit, I sometimes can’t tell whether I’m making the right move or not. Now take this Vietnam mess. How in the hell can anyone know for sure what’s right and what’s wrong, Sam?”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)