The Management Board of Ben En National Park (in Nhu Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province) said that Ben En National Park has a total natural area of over 14,190 hectares, including over 12,275 hectares of forestry land. Previously, this area was the natural distribution of green lim species.
Over the years, due to overexploitation, Ben En National Park now has only one ancient ironwood tree that is hundreds of years old.
According to the elders in the area, no one knows how long the lim tree has been there, they only know that when they grew up they saw the “old tree” like that, and until now the tree has not grown much. So the estimated age of the “old tree” is up to hundreds of years.
Currently, there are two cuts on the trunk of the ironwood tree, one of which is quite large and deep into the trunk. According to local people, these cuts were the times when "loggers" deliberately tried to destroy the ironwood tree. However, thanks to the forest rangers' determination to protect the tree, the "old tree" still exists today.
Nowadays, the above lim tree is considered by the people as the “treasure” of the green forest, because of its ancientness, rarity and great value. Therefore, the “old tree” is being preserved and protected very strictly.
Some pictures of the green lim tree.
