Nghi Tam’s green fingered land grab #photog

A year and a half ago, around the time of Hanoi’s 1000-year anniversary, one of the last pieces of road finished to link up the round Westlake route, was the outline of Nghi Tam’s mini-peninsula.

As it was slowly completed and pavements put in place, we waited for landscaping of the adjacent earth.  It never came.  Slowly local gardeners have taken over the land.  Some of it was already cultivated but more has been claimed for herbs, veggies and even flowers.

It’s not all pretty, there’s a fair smattering of litter and the inevitable building materials.  There are still those who walk their dogs here and seem happy to let them foul the areas that others are trying to cultivate.  However, with the recent rain that’s brought a freshness and greenness to the city, it’s never looked better.

I used to be impatient for these spaces to be “completed” by the local authorities. Now I’m far happier watching this green-fingered urban land grab.

The last pic is a garden in the lake. I was told that these were pollution-filtering reed beds but my guess is that’s just wishful thinking. Unless others know differently, I think it’s just another garden.

Rest of the pics are here taken today in Nghi Tam are here.