The first ancient "Gao" tree (Bombax ceiba) to be honored as the Vietnam Heritage Tree
On March 16, 2011, residents in Kien Thuy District, Hai Phong City coordinated with Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE) to organize the ceremony to recognize the over 700 year-old Gao tree (Bombax ceiba) in Mo Pagoda, Nghi Duong Hamlet, Ngu Phuc Commune as the Vietnam Heritage Tree.
This is the first Gao tree across the country to be recognized by VACNE and honored by the community so that everyone can protect and take special care of it. Although the tree has existed for nearly 727 years, it is still very green and blooms with red flowers in March. It is about 30 meters high and consists of two stems: a main one (over 2 meters in diameter) and an auxiliary one (0.5 meters). Its canopy covers about 1,200 square meters.
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, VACNE’s President
read a Decision on recognizing the Heritage Tree
Vestige Management Board of Mo Pagoda said the Gao tree was planted by Princess Quynh Tran in 1284 when the King Tran Thanh Tong allowed her to come here to worship the Buddha (Quy Mui Lunar year - 1283). As the Princess chose Nghi Duong Hamlet to set up a hermitage to appeal for people to come to reclaim virgin soil, build houses and use wooden bell ("mo" in Vietnamese) as order. She planted the Gao tree here to get shadow for people to rest when they are in the field and prayed for them to have enough rice. Since then, local residents called Princess Quynh Tran as Mo Princess. The ancient pagoda Hong Phuc and Quynh Tran Temple were called accordingly Mo Pagoda-Temple after the Princess's death.
Mo Festival is organized every year by residents from lunar second month 12 to 14. Together with the ceremonies like the Festival procession of the Emperor, praying for good weather and crops, there are also many attractive folk games such as cork fighting, chess playing, etc.
Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, VACNE’s President read the Decision to recognize the Heritage Tree and handed down this decision to a local authority’s representative. On behalf of the local authority and residents, Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan, Chairman of Ngu Phuc Commune People’s Committee, received the Decision and expressed his gratitude to the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment and promised to care, protect & preserve this tree for future generations.
That is to say, the rice tree in Mo Pagoda, Nghi Duong Hamlet, Ngu Phuc Commune, Kien Thuy District, Hai Phong City is the 65th Vietnamese Heritage Tree to have honorable recognition ceremony among over 90 trees recognized by VACNE.
Source in Vietnamese: http://vacne.org.vn/default.aspx?newsid=5441