Witness of more than a century
At the 2026 Fruit Festival organized by Da Huoai 2 commune at Nam Nhi fruit garden, a large number of people and tourists not only enjoyed the specialty durian fruits but also came to admire the ancient durian tree over 100 years old.
The contest gathered 8 booths of businesses and cooperatives producing and trading durian from three communes Da Huoai, Da Huoai 2 and Da Huoai 3 - areas known as the "durian capital" of Lam Dong.
The highlight of the event is the 106-year-old seed durian tree. According to many local documents, this durian variety was introduced by the French to be planted in Da Huoai from the 1920s.
Nam Nhi Fruit Garden is one of the first locations chosen to plant this type of tree.
To date, after more than a century, the entire garden only has a single ancient durian tree left.
The tree is about 50m high, with a trunk diameter of nearly 1m, considered a historical witness of the land associated with durian trees.
Mr. Nguyen Quy My, former Secretary of the Da Huoai District Party Committee, said that according to the stories of many elderly people, during the anti-American resistance war, Nam Nhi garden used to have 5-6 durian trees with seeds tens of meters high.
Over time, only one tree remains. Da Huoai people consider this a treasure of time and the pride of the land that has been associated with durian trees for decades," Mr. My shared.
Still wrong after 106 years
Mr. Le Chi Hoc, Director of Chi Cuong Trading and Production Co., Ltd. - the unit managing Nam Nhi fruit garden - said that the enterprise has taken over the garden for more than 20 years and always pays special attention to the ancient durian tree.
According to Mr. Hoc, in addition to its historical value, what surprises many people is that the tree still grows healthily and yields 150-200kg of fruit each year.
Although it is a seed durian variety, the fruit has a thin skin, thick flesh, and is fatty, and is loved by many tourists after enjoying it. We always take care of it carefully to preserve the tree as a part of the history of Da Huoai land," Mr. Hoc said.
To recognize the historical value of the ancient durian tree, the local government has placed a stele marking it right in Nam Nhi fruit garden.
With more than a century of rooting in Da Huoai land, the ancient durian tree is not only a witness to the formation of a specialized durian growing area but also a symbol of the local prosperity.
From the first durian roots, Da Huoai today has become a famous durian production area, where this crop helps many households rise up to be well-off and get rich right in their homeland.
