What is special about the 45 ancient trees recognized as Vietnam Heritage Trees?

The Vietnam Heritage Tree Council (Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment) has just held a meeting and approved 45 perennial trees from 6 provinces and cities that are eligible to be recognized as Vietnam heritage trees.

The 800-year-old driftwood tree in Huong Vinh commune, Huong Khe district is a Vietnamese heritage tree. Photo: Duc Hung

In this list, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has the largest number of recognized trees with 24 trees. Quang Tri province is second with 17 heritage trees.

Localities such as Ben Tre , Ha Tinh, Long An and Hanoi each have one more tree that meets the standards of a Vietnamese heritage tree.

Accordingly, the perennial trees of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province that were approved this time are all located in Con Dao district. They are 2 banyan trees (one nearly 240 years old, trunk diameter nearly 2m in Hon Bay Canh and one more than 150 years old, trunk circumference 4.6m in Ong Dung beach).

Besides, there is also a 237-year-old black star tree with a trunk circumference of nearly 8 m in Bai Dai, and the remaining 21 phong ba trees are over 100 years old. Con Dao district (Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) is known as the capital of heritage trees.

In particular, the heritage tree in Con Co island district ( Quang Tri province) has stood firm after the war, with historical traces still imprinted on its trunk. These are bomb craters around the base, or bomb fragments embedded in the middle of the tree trunk. The heritage tree in Con Co is a testament to its indomitable vitality.

The event that started the recognition of heritage trees was the occasion of the grand celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi. In early October 2010, 9 ancient ebony trees nearly 1,000 years old at Voi Phuc Temple (Tay Ho, Hanoi) were honored as heritage trees by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment.

After more than 10 years, Vietnamese heritage trees have been present in most provinces and cities across the country, from the Hoang Lien Son mountain range to the areas close to the Vietnam - China border, down to the seas and islands of the Fatherland such as Hon Dau (Hai Phong), Son Tra (Da Nang).

According to the criteria for recognition of Vietnamese heritage trees (applied from January 1, 2022), if the trees are natural trees, they must meet the criteria of living for over 200 years, being at least 25m tall, with a trunk circumference of at least 6m for trees, having a unique shape, and being healthy...

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/45-cay-co-thu-vua-duoc-cong-nhan-la-cay-di-san-viet-nam-co-gi-dac-biet-post314340.html