Admire the 300-year-old banyan tree next to the sacred temple in Lao Cai

Den Thuong, hay con co ten Thanh Tran Tu, toa lac tren doi Hieu Hoa (phuong Lao Cai, thanh pho Lao Cai). Den duoc xay dung vao thoi Le nien hieu Chinh Hoa (nam 1680 - 1705), tho Quoc cong tiet che Hung Dao Dai Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan. Nam 1996, den duoc xep hang la Di tich Lich su - Van hoa cap Quoc gia.

Thuong Temple, also known as Saint Tran Tu, is located on Hieu Hoa Hill (Lao Cai Ward, Lao Cai City). The temple was built during the Le Dynasty, under the reign of Chinh Hoa (1680 - 1705), to worship the Great King Tran Quoc Tuan. In 1996, the temple was ranked as a National Historical - Cultural Relic.

Trong khuon vien quan the di tich den Thuong, noi bat hon ca la cay da co tuoi doi hon 300 nam, “chung nhan” lich su cua vung dat Lao Cai. Viec co cay da co thu ngay canh den da tro thanh bieu tuong mang y nghia tam linh, gan bo voi doi song nguoi dan tu nhieu doi nay.

In the complex of Thuong Temple relics, the most prominent is the banyan tree that is over 300 years old, a historical “witness” of Lao Cai land. Having an ancient banyan tree right next to the temple has become a symbol of spiritual significance, closely associated with the lives of the people for many generations.

Cay da o den Thuong thuoc ho da long, thoi diem duoc cong nhan, cay duoc xep vao cay di san co chu vi toan bo than cay lon nhat Viet Nam, voi chu vi 44 m, cao hon 36 m, co tuoi doi tren 300 nam.

The banyan tree at Thuong Temple belongs to the banyan family. At the time of recognition, the tree was classified as a heritage tree with the largest total trunk circumference in Vietnam, with a circumference of 44 m, a height of over 36 m, and an age of over 300 years.

Theo tim hieu, da long la loai cay go lon cao toi 30 - 35m, tan rong, thuong nhieu than voi re phu; la don moc cach hinh trung hay trai xoan, phien la day, hai mat co long mau vang nau hay xam bao phu.

According to research, the hairy tree is a large tree up to 30 - 35m tall, with a wide canopy, often with many trunks and secondary roots; simple leaves grow alternately, are egg-shaped or oval, have thick blades, and are covered with yellow-brown or gray hairs on both sides.

“Duoi bong mat cua cay da, nhieu the he nguoi dan dia phuong chung toi da to chuc cac hoat dong le hoi, van hoa, the thao, sinh hoat cong dong. Day la mot phan tuoi tho cua khong it nguoi dan Lao Cai“, ba Duong Thi Nguyet (tru phuong Lao Cai) chia se.

“Under the shade of the banyan tree, many generations of local people have organized festivals, cultural, sports and community activities. This is a part of the childhood of many Lao Cai people,” said Ms. Duong Thi Nguyet (resident of Lao Cai ward).

Nam 2012, cay da o den Thuong duoc Hiep hoi bao ve thien nhien va moi truong cong nhan la cay di san Viet Nam. Goc da voi hang tram than re duoc hinh thanh qua nhieu the ky, 20 nguoi om khong xue.

In 2012, the banyan tree at Thuong Temple was recognized as a Vietnamese heritage tree by the Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment. The banyan tree with hundreds of roots formed over many centuries is so large that 20 people cannot hug it.

Viec duoc cong nhan la cay di san Viet Nam cang lam tang them gia tri lich su, van hoa va moi truong cua khu di tich lich su den Thuong - mot trong nhung diem du lich tam linh cua Lao Cai thu hut nhieu du khach thap phuong.

Being recognized as a Vietnamese heritage tree further enhances the historical, cultural and environmental value of the Thuong Temple historical relic site - one of Lao Cai's spiritual tourist attractions that attracts many visitors from all over.

Day la cay co thu dau tien cua tinh Lao Cai duoc cong nhan la Cay di san Viet Nam va la cay thu 155 trong ca nuoc giu danh hieu nay.

This is the first ancient tree in Lao Cai province to be recognized as a Vietnamese heritage tree and the 155th tree in the country to hold this title.

Ben canh nhung re cay to lon la nhieu nhanh re nho dang sinh soi, phat trien.

Besides the large tree roots, many small roots are growing and developing to find a way to cling deep into the ground.

Theo nguoi dan dia phuong, trai qua hang tram nam lich su, tan cay da phu bong mat ca mot vung rong lon, dong thoi gop phan che chan gio bao, bao ve ngoi den thieng va cuoc song cua ba con xung quanh.

According to local people, over hundreds of years of history, the tree's canopy has shaded a large area, while also helping to shield against storms, protecting the sacred temple and the lives of the surrounding people.

Den nay, cay da phat trien them rat nhieu re phu va hang nghin re con bao boc xung quanh. Rat kho phan biet dau la than chinh, dau la re phu, boi theo thoi gian, cac re phu da phat trien, gan chat vao nhau thanh cum re khong lo khong khac gi than chinh.

By now, the tree has developed many more secondary roots and thousands of small roots surrounding it. It is difficult to distinguish between the main trunk and the secondary roots, because over time, the secondary roots have grown and attached themselves to each other to form a giant root cluster that is no different from the main trunk.

Cac nhanh de cua day co kich thuoc vo cung to lon, cam sau vao dat giup cay sinh truong va phat trien.

The roots of the vine are extremely large in size, penetrating deep into the ground to help the plant grow and develop.

Cung voi cay da 338 tuoi o dinh Tieu Tra, cay nhan di san o chua Tieu Tra (ben canh Dinh) cung van truong ton qua hon 3 the ki, la niem tu hao cua biet bao the he nguoi dan Tieu Tra. Nhung cay di san cung gop phan ton len ve dep cua cum di tich dinh chua Tieu Tra - thu hut hang nghin luot nguoi dan, du khach den tham quan, chiem bai hang nam.

Over 3 centuries of existence, the heritage banyan tree also contributes to enhancing the beauty of the Thuong Temple relic complex, attracting thousands of people and tourists to visit and worship every year.