Located in front of Thien Co Temple (Huong Lan village, Trung Vuong commune, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province), the 2,104-year-old teak wood tree has been recognized as a “Vietnamese heritage tree” since the reign of An Duong Vuong.
The teak wood tree is more than 2,100 years old in front of the Thien Co Temple
Following the village road, we found Thien Co Temple. Legend has it that this temple is located in the capital of the ancient Van Lang country. At the temple, there is an ancient teak wood tree that is one of the oldest trees in Vietnam. According to scientists' calculations, this tree is more than 2,100 years old.
In 2012, the teak wood tree was recognized and awarded the title of “Vietnamese heritage tree” by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE).
The people of Huong Lan village call the 2,104-year-old teak wood tree ass the “old tree” because since ancestral times, the tree has appeared and gone through many ups and downs of history. In 2012, the “old tree” was recognized and awarded the title of the “heritage tree” by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE), contributing to the longevity of the ancestral land.
Since the existence of the tree, people in the village have considered it as a treasure, and have taken great care and preserved it carefully. Mr. Nguyen Thien Ninh (85 years old, a custodian of Thien Co temple) shared that not only is it a historical witness, the teak wood tree also contains priceless cultural and spiritual values.
Mr. Nguyen Thien Ninh said that the teak wood tree has become a sacred “treasure” of the villagers here.
Mr. Ninh shared that this tree is associated with the sacred legend of Thien Co Temple. According to the records, this is the place to worship teacher Vu The Lang and his wife Nguyen Thi Thuc. At that time, the teacher and his wife were the ones who had the merit of teaching Princess Tien Dung and Princess Ngoc Hoa (children of the 18th Hung King). After the teacher Vu The Lang and his wife died, local people buried them and built a temple for worship in the village. Along with that, the teak wood tree appeared and has survived until today.
The ancient teak wood tree has a big root that five or six people can’t hug it
"In 2014, the teak wood tree was seriously affected by the previous road construction process, so it appeared wilted and aging, the trunk was hollowed out by insects, lacked nutrients, and many branches dried and died. Faced with the weakening of the “old tree”, the villagers are determined to keep the tree, not cut it down and invite scientists and experts to evaluate and find ways to fix and save the tree," Mr. Ninh said.
Due to its high longevity and the process of building roads for people’s livelihoods, in 2014 the teak wood tree weakened, its branches and leaves withered and gradually died. The villagers called for help to prolong the tree’s life.
Thanks to the timely removal of crushed rocks and soil around the trunk, expanding the living space, fertilizing with microbiological fertilizers, and pruning pest-infested branches, the “old tree” has now shown signs of recovery.
After many efforts to cure it, the teak wood tree has recovered and developed part of its branches to demonstrate its eternal vitality.
With these historical and cultural values, the teak wood tree in front of Thien Co Temple is recognized as a heritage tree, not only the pride of the people of Huong Lan village but also a valuable historical relic of the nation.
Hoai Trang
