Century-old tree preserved in Ha Tinh national park

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The near-root section of the newly discovered 1,000-year-old fokienia tree. (Photo: baohatinh.vn)

Fokienia or Fujian Cypress tree, scientifically known as fokienia hodginsii, is listed as a vulnerable species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list due to increasing logging for its timber.

Local authorities are yet to recognise the tree as a heritage tree.

According to the park’s director, Nguyen Danh Ky, its research team discovered the giant tree in a newly found fokienia population in the 550sq.km park.

The tree is 30m tall and its body near the root section has a diameter of 2.2m.

Ky said the park authorities worked with tree-ageing experts to determine the tree’s age, and initial results show it to be some 1,000 years old.

The tree is one among many old trees in a fokienia population found at a height of 1,445m above the sea level in a primary forest area near Lao border.

Another 1,000-year-old fokienia tree in Xuan Lien National Park in neighbouring Thanh Hoa was recognised as a heritage tree in 2013.

To be recognised as a heritage tree in Vietnam, a tree must be more than 200 years old.