Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment

(VACNE) - After 4 years, I had the opportunity to return to visit the 300-year-old old sesame tree in Phung Hiep district, Hau Giang province - the tree has been recognized by VACNE as a Vietnam Heritage Tree. And surprisingly, the scenery here has changed completely, the Heritage Tree of Sesame has become a tourist highlight of Hau Giang province.

At that time, the Lộc vừng tree was still hidden in the village of Long Thanh B, surrounded by muddy barrels, dense plants, and the shrine of Ba Chua Su nestled under the tree, just like a small altar. Now it has become a tourist center, with many red-tiled buildings, with bright stainless steel gates, concrete bridges and roads, and spacious parking with a capacity of hundreds of cells, motorbike and car, forming a continuous tourist route from here to the Rach Chay Pedal Victory Historical Site, Thanh Hoa Commune (Phung Hiep), to Ninh Kieu Wharf (Can Tho City), My Khanh Resort, Floating Market Cái Răng …

Ms. Uong, the custodian of Ba Chua Su shrine, said that since the Tree was honored as the Tree of Vietnamese Heritage, the villagers were extremely happy. When the province brought materials and equipment back and had many vehicles, machines, cranes to level the soil, and install concrete piles to rebuild the Temple, people were happier.

Today, meeting me as an employee of the Management Board of Ba Chua Su Temple Tourist Area, she added: In the past, only on the day of her death (January 16 every year) there were many people coming to worship and pray to hope that the life will be full and peaceful, with good weather and good weather, now tourists come from all four directions, with the number of hundreds of tourists every day.

Previously, visitors only knew this place was Rach Cay Stop, there was a sacred shrine called Ba Chua Su Temple, they now know fully: This Lộc vừng tree is more than 300 years old, it was bombed by war and the central branch was broken into two branches and trees were associated with the period of reclaiming and establishing the hamlet of the southern region.

In March 2020, the province held a stele of Vietnam Heritage Tree and a stainless steel welcome gate in the campus of Ba Chua Su Temple

The 4.2 km long concrete road and many concrete bridges spanning rivers and canals invested by the province has connected the tourist site of Lộc vừng - Vietnam Heritage with tourist routes of Hau Giang province and city Can Tho.