200-year snowbell recognized as Vietnam Heritage Tree

200-year snowbell recognized as Vietnam Heritage Tree Related image(s)

A corner of the Snowbell (Source: doisongphapluat.com) On August 11, Phu Yen provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Association for Natural and Environmental Conservation (VACNE) recognized an almost 200-year snowbell at the Luong Van Chanh temple, of Long Phung village as a Heritage Tree. The tree, which has a scientific name of Ficus Religiosa under the Ficus family, is 21 meters in height and 12 meters in diameter. This is the second ancient tree in Phu Yen province recognized as a Vietnam Heritage Tree by VACNE. According to the history, Luong Van Chanh’s tomb and temple were built in the 1730s. Over the next decade, the temple became a ruin and collapsed. The snowbell was planted and grew up, striking it’s roots in the front of the temple’s wall, rebuilt in 1822. Earlier, a cluster of over 20 mango trees with 220 years of growth, in the National Historic site of Tu Quang pagoda (known as Da Trang pagoda) in Can Luong village, Phu Yen, were also recognized as Vietnam Heritage Trees. These heritage trees are considered precious and equal in status to any other national historical relics./.