Speech by VACNE leaders at the recognition ceremony of the Vietnamese Heritage Tree in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province
(VACNE) - The Editorial Board would like to quote the introduction speech of Dr. Phung Chi Sy, Vice President of VACNE at the recognition ceremony of the Vietnam Heritage Tree in Bien Hoa, Dong Nai province (November 2, 2023)
I am very pleased to attend on behalf of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), congratulate the local community and directly award the Certificate of Recognition of the Vietnamese Heritage Tree to Dau Rai tree for more than 300 years in the campus of Hoang An Pagoda, Hiep Hoa Ward, Bien Hoa city - the first ancient tree of Dong Nai province to have this honor.
As you know, the Heritage Tree Conservation Event, initiated and launched by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment nearly 13 years ago (March 18, 2010), has now become a nationwide movement, with tens of thousands of ancient tree records registered from all over the country. To date, the Vietnam Heritage Tree Council has reviewed and recognized nearly 8,000 trees, qualified as Vietnamese Heritage Trees, including the giant Dau Rai tree in the compound of Hoang An Pagoda, of Bien Hoa city.
The event honoring the cluster of ancient Dau trees at Hoang An Pagoda as a Vietnamese heritage tree is not only an important event for the people of Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province, but it also has a deep human meaning for all of us. For this work, it is not only aimed at directly protecting the environmental landscape and preserving biodiversity, but also as an expression of our gratitude to our ancestors who have bequeathed these precious legacies to their descendants; At the same time, this activity also contributes to arousing the love of the homeland and the strength of unity among ethnic groups in Vietnam.
It's been more than 300 years and it's like a miracle: this tree has shaded the temple and invited birds and insects from the area to gather. The ancient Dau tree has become a green monument for people in the region to admire, which contains many messages of the ancestors for posterity, about solidarity, moral cultivation and awareness of environmental protection.
The selection and honor of the ancient Dau tree in the campus of Hoang An Pagoda, Hiep Hoa Ward, Bien Hoa City as a Heritage Tree of Vietnam not only aims to preserve typical genetic resources of the Southeast region; introduce the richness and diversity of Vietnam's flora, but also directly promote tourism and introduce historical traditions to Dong Nai province.
At this solemn ceremony, on behalf of the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, I would like to sincerely thank the enthusiastic response of the government, mass organizations and local people, the companionship of the leaders of the Buddhist Church in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province.