Interesting facts about the water fern that has lived through more than 10 generations in Muong Quang land

The water fern is in the season of changing leaves and blooming. Looking at the upper left corner, there are beautiful, colorful, and strange cloud rings. Photo: Hung Cuong

Mr. Lang Van Liem (71 years old) in Ta village said: "Since I was little, I heard my father and grandfather say that the water fern has been around for a long time, at least 10 generations."

The water fern, called “co phat” in Thai, stands tall in the middle of a vast area. Legend has it that in the mid-19th century, Hong Xiu Quan’s uprising broke out in China and established the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. After that, it failed, and the remaining troops fled to take refuge, invaded and mined gold in the Muong Quang area (present-day Que Phong). Although the remaining troops of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom burned and destroyed everywhere they went, they did not just cut down the water fern but kept it to make medicine.

The tree roots stand tall against the sky. Photo: Hung Cuong

The roots and trunks of the trees have many strange shapes. Photo: Hung Cuong

Mr. Lang Van Liem and many people in Ta village also said that many people came to ask to buy the giant tree but no one in the village agreed to sell. Because this is the common spiritual property of all 3 villages: Ta, Tham and Hua Kho. Previously, these 3 villages were one, then they separated to reclaim land and establish new villages.

There are many species of orchids living on the treetops. Photo: Hung Cuong

Every year on the 10th of July (lunar calendar), people gather together under the tree. They prepare offerings to worship their ancestors, thank the people who created the village, established the village, and send their wishes to the sacred ancient tree. There is an interesting thing about this giant tree, that no one knows when the village community had a convention: All women from other regions who came to marry in the village were forbidden from coming near the tree. Only men and women born here were allowed to go near the tree. There is currently no satisfactory answer to this strange convention.

The tree's base has a diameter of up to 2m at its widest point. Photo: Hung Cuong

Many plants are deposited on the ancient tree. Photo: Hung Cuong

In addition to its spiritual significance, as a milestone from the time of building villages and establishing villages, the tree is also considered by the people as an important traditional medicine to help cure diseases. According to the people, the leaves of the tree are used as medicine to treat trachoma, and the bark is very effective in treating diarrhea and stomachache. And when coming to get leaves or bark to cure diseases, it is necessary to be a man or woman born in the village, ask permission from the ancestors and clearly read the full name of the sick person and the symptoms of the disease for it to be effective.

Mr. Lang Van Liem pointed to the ancient foundations left over from the time when the remnants of the Taiping Rebellion came here to seek refuge and mine gold. Photo: Hung Cuong

On the trunk and branches are many species of mistletoe and orchids. Every summer the tree is brilliant with color when many species of orchids bloom.