Blossom

Every spring, Hong Kong Instagrammers love to post the deciduous golden trumpet trees in full blossom. Also known as yellow poui trees, these bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are the prime photographer draw. 

I arrived at the alma mater early two weeks ago so I could pick a serene spot, and an unmistakably beautiful one, to have a stroll before attending an organ donation ceremony. As soon as I arrived, I saw the vibrant golden flowers, resembling wind chimes or bells. Their blossoming period lasts for less than a month. By the time I returned today, the flowers have gone. 

After the golden blooms, long furry brown seed pods hang from the branches. It's one thing to capture the yellow flowers by camera, quite another to capture the seeds. Nowhere else do you see such a dramatic change in appearance. That’s almost a fairy tale of The Ugly Duckling in reverse order.