Hanoi, Feb. 13 -- While Hanoi teems with hundreds of Tet markets each year, the Hang Luoc flower market in Hoan Kiem ward remains a deeply evocative draw for longtime capital residents. More than a mere bazaar, it is a living "market of memories", a century-old fair that has persisted through generations.

Since the mid-point of the 12th lunar month, Hang Luoc street has assumed a celebratory guise. Soft and vivid pink peach blossoms, golden kumquat trees bowed under the weight of ripe fruit, and crisp white apricot blooms herald the onset of spring.

This cherished market caters chiefly to Old Quarter dwellers, whose narrow lanes and compact homes favour small kumquat trees, slender peach branches, and petite apricot pots. "Small but ref...