The root field is located in Cong Hoa ward (Chi Linh city, Hai Duong province). This field has existed for hundreds of years, and until now, farmers in Con Son still grow root trees interspersed with Con Son pine forests.
In autumn, the root field grows lush and green, the plants are about 1 meter tall and bloom with clusters of tiny white flowers. The root field in the afternoon breeze exudes a gentle fragrance that makes anyone fall in love.
The root plant is also known as Artemisia vulgaris or Artemisia vulgaris, with long, small branches and needle-shaped leaves. When harvested, it is used as a broom.
The root field in Con Son is associated with the legend “He planted pine trees, she planted roots”. According to the ancients, when the mandarin Tran Nguyen Dan retired, he went into seclusion in the Con Son - Kiep Bac area. Every day, the old man planted pine trees on Con Son mountain, while the old woman planted roots covering the wild land at the foot of the mountain.
Coming from a royal lineage, Quan Tu Do Tran Nguyen Dan was the 4th generation grandson of Grand Tutor Tran Quang Khai and the 5th generation grandson of King Tran Thai Tong. He was the maternal grandfather of National Hero and World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai.
In 1385, Tu Do, Chuong Tuc Quoc Thuong Hau Tran Nguyen Dan retired to Con Son. At that time, Nguyen Trai was only 5 years old and also followed his maternal grandfather from Thang Long capital to live in Con Son.
Con Son Pagoda has been a famous ancient temple since the time of Tu Do Tran Nguyen Dan and later Nguyen Trai. This place preserves many tangible and intangible cultural values of feudal dynasties in history.
Mr. Nguyen Van Khiem (Tien Son residential area, Cong Hoa ward, Chi Linh city) has contracted a 3-hectare field out of a total of 15 hectares of root trees in Con Son. The special feature of the root field that Mr. Khiem's family takes care of is that the space is interspersed with pine forests, creating an extremely romantic and poetic landscape.
Since 2013, Mr. Khiem's family's root field has attracted many tourists to visit and take photos on weekends. Mr. Khiem said that the most beautiful time for the root field is around the 8th lunar month, when the autumn weather is sunny, the plants are already at a moderate height, green and ready to be harvested.
In previous years, when there were few visitors, Mr. Khiem did not charge a fee. Recently, the large number of tourists coming to take photos has affected the landscape and environment, with littering and tree roots being broken. The family has to collect a fee to fund the cleaning of the trash and replanting of trees with roots that have been damaged by the crowds taking photos.
The root field is also contracted to some households to take care of, protect and exploit. Thanks to the hands of farmers, the root field has a beautiful landscape, increasingly attracting tourists to take photos and film.
