As the lotus flower season arrives, many young women in Hanoi are flocking to capture the best moments with the blossoms in lotus ponds near West Lake.

Most of the girls choose to wear ao yem, a traditional Vietnamese bodice used primarily as an undergarment that was once worn by Vietnamese women across all classes and was most usually worn underneath a blouse or overcoat, for modesty's sake.

On the internet, there are forums set up to call for teams to takes photos at lotus ponds or share experience for this.

These days, the lotus ponds in Xuan Dinh Ward are very crowded with models and photographers, although only a few lotuses have bloomed.

To capture particularly expressive photos, some girls are not afraid of pouring pond water onto their bodies  

Some people select a full package, including clothes, make-up and photographers at prices ranging from VND250,000-1 million each.

To have good shoots, both models and photographers have to work very hard for hours even in the hot weather. 

However, to protect the flowers, the lotus pond owners have instituted a VND200,000 (USD9.52) fine for those that pick or damage the flowers.

Wearing ao yem helps the girls to show off their curved lines