Why do the Vietnamese collect water lilies (4 photos)
Each country has its own unusual traditions. In Vietnam for example, such a tradition can be considered the collection of water lilies on the river Mekong. 
Each country has its own national characteristics, festivals and traditions that are remembered by tourists and locals. If we talk about Vietnam, then such a tradition can be considered a very collection water lilies in the Mekong Delta, which passes here literally every year. How and why the Vietnamese collect lilies on the Mekong River
And the point here is not even the colors themselves, which look very beautiful and unusual, how many in the girls who collect them. Dozens beauties put on traditional Vietnamese costumes, take traditional boats and go to the river to collect lilies.
In the process, they can dance a little, laugh out loud and sing songs - this way the work becomes much more fun. 
Of course, such a spectacle attracts a lot of tourists. Therefore, a real "full house" can occur near the river. And it's true if look at the beauty of flowers and the enthusiasm of girls, you will remain indifferent very difficult.
But here a completely logical question arises - why do girls do they collect these water lilies at all? What prevented them from these beautiful flowers? The answer is simple - flowers do not bother anyone, they are just ... delicious. 
Yes, all these lilies are collected by the Vietnamese exclusively from gastronomic considerations, because both the flowers themselves and the stems of these plants have been used in Vietnamese cuisine since ancient times as a kind of delicacy. They make salads, snacks and even pastries with lilies. 
So, the stems, which have a sour taste, are often pickled and fried. with seafood. Desserts are made from flowers, and famous restaurants can even decorate your dishes with it.
Of course, some tourists are outraged that these people destroy beauty, but ... this is their life. For centuries, the Vietnamese have been eating lilies, and for them they are food, not beauty.
