During our business trip to Bat Xat commune, the Dao people boasted that they had a “green gold mine” on Sai Duan mountain. Following the people up the mountain, we were amazed to see a lush green forest of ancient trees. The ancient trees were cracked and rough, their trunks towering high, and their canopies spreading out in a shady manner.
Mr. Tan Lao Lu, Sai Duan village, Bat Xat commune said: This is an ancient forest of Khao trees, about 5 hectares wide, managed by the village for many years. What is special is that the Khao forest has Khao trees that are 30 to 40 years old, the base of the tree is so big that a person cannot hug it around their arms, the tree trunk is about 20m high. While in other forests there are only a few Khao trees growing mixed with other forest trees, here Khao trees account for a large number, the trees grow in neat rows, most of them are over 10m high, creating a beautiful natural picture.
Mr. Tan Lao Lu said: The ancient forest has existed for a long time and is actively protected by the villagers. Every year, the villagers hold meetings, build village covenants and regulations to protect the forest; and hold forest worship ceremonies on the third day of Tet. The villagers are not allowed to cut down trees arbitrarily. Households preparing to build houses and wanting to get wood must report to the village, clearly state the amount of wood needed and must get the consent of the villagers through the meeting.
Learning more from the locals, we learned that the type of Khao that grows in the forest in Sai Duan village is the yellow Khao, a common tree species in forests in Vietnam. The yellow Khao wood belongs to group 6, is characterized by being light, easy to process, has solid wood quality, and beautiful fine wood grain, so when processed to make house pillars, wooden floors or wall panels, it has high aesthetics and longevity. This type of wood is also less susceptible to termites or affected by external factors. The older and more ancient the Khao trees, the better the quality of the wood. In particular, old Khao trees with lumps called nu Khao are often used to produce handicrafts such as vases, vases of wealth, wooden statues, etc. Khao forests not only provide wood but also create a cool green canopy for people to grow purple cardamom, increasing their income.
Born and raised in Sai Duan village, he has been attached to the ancient Khao forest since childhood. According to Mr. Chao A Phin, Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Committee, People's Council of Bat Xat commune, Lao Cai province (former Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Phin Ngan commune, Bat Xat district), the Khao forest area is a natural regeneration forest of the village since the 1980s and 1990s. This Khao forest is strictly protected by the people, no one is allowed to cut down or burn fields, thanks to which the trees grow well. Currently, there are Khao trees with a diameter of about 50 - 60 cm. Khao is a good timber tree in Phin Ngan commune, second only to mulberry trees, and is often used by people in the commune to build houses.
Along with the value of providing wood for the people, preserving land, preserving water, purifying the air for the village, the ancient forest in Sai Duan also has value in ecotourism . In recent times, Bat Xat commune has welcomed many domestic and foreign tourist groups to visit. Groups of students from Singapore, Korea, England, France were excited to enter the ancient forest, harvest purple cardamom fruit with the people, collect bamboo shoots, pick medicinal leaves... Thereby, helping each local person and tourist love nature more, raising awareness of forest protection.
Mr. Chao A Khuân, Head of the Security and Order Protection Team in Sai Duan Village, Bat Xat Commune, said: Every month, at village meetings, we often propagate to the people to actively protect the forest and not to encroach on the forest. The forest patrol team also regularly performs its duties, promptly detecting and reminding people when there are signs of violations and encroachment on the forest. In cases where villagers violate, we will strictly handle them according to the village's regulations and conventions. For people outside the village, we will advise the Commune People's Committee to make a record and handle them according to the law. The villagers are all aware of protecting the forest, so over the past decades, the village's khao forest has become increasingly green, becoming a valuable asset and pride of the Red Dao people in Sai Duan village.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/rung-khao-co-thu-tren-nui-sai-duan-post647799.html
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