Two ancient banyans in Phuoc Tuy commune, Ba Tri district, the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre have been recognised as national heritage trees.
The banyan tree in the right side of the Phuoc Tuy temple (Credit: sovhttdl.bentre.gov.vn)
The locality held a ceremony on June 2 to receive the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE)’s certificate.
The trees were planted at Phuoc Tuy temple about 200 years ago and witnessed the vicissitudes of the locality’s history, from the feudal period to resistance wars against French and Americans, and the national construction period.
The banyan located on the right side of the temple casts shade over an area of around 30 metres; meanwhile the tree on the left has an immeasurably high shade. The two trees annually fruit from the fourth to the eighth lunar month.
Earlier in 2014, a white apricot tree in Phu Tu temple, Phu Hung commune, Ben Tre province was honoured as a Vietnam Heritage Tree.
The recognition is expected to mobilise people to preserve biodiversity as well as raise public awareness of environmental protection.
NDO
