Amazed with the hundreds of years old ironwood forest in Nghe An rice district

Van Truong• March 14, 2021 08:23

(Baonghean.vn) - In the middle of the rice fields is a primeval ironwood forest hundreds of years old that still exists thanks to the preservation and protection awareness of the people of Lang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district (Nghe An).

The ironwood forest is located in Nghe hamlet, Lang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Van Truong

Wingironwood forestLang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh (Nghe An) is only about 8 km from the district center. From afar, the forest lies on a gentle hill in the middle of the fields, embracing the surrounding villages. Entering the forest are tall "old" lim trees, the trunks of which one person cannot hug. The surprising thing here is that the entire forest is full of natural lim trees (green lim) with lush branches and leaves intertwined. Below, dense vines cling to the rough lim tree trunks from the base to the top, the birds chirping, as if lost in the mountain forest.

The trunk of the ironwood tree in Nghe hamlet is too big for one person to hug. Photo: Van Truong

The village elders said: No one knows when the ironwood forest in Lang Thanh commune appeared, but they only knew that they had seen this primeval forest when they grew up. Many generations had to pass on the preservation and protection of the ironwood forest to get to where it is today.

Vines cling tightly to the ironwood tree from the base to the top. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Nguyen Ho Son - Chairman of Lang Thanh Commune People's Committee said: The lim forest in Lang Thanh commune is estimated to be over 300 years old, currently the whole commune has more than 100 hectares of lim forest, distributed on gentle hills, most of the lim trees have a diameter of 60 - 80 cm, over 30m high. For a long time, the people of Lang Thanh commune have considered these forests as treasures of the village. The lim forest protects the village from storms and helps regulate the cool climate during the hot season.

The trunk of the ironwood tree has become rough over time. Photo: Van Truong

The ironwood forest is managed by the locality according to the policy of allocating land and forest to the people according to Decree 02 of the Government and is managed and protected by more than 100 households. In addition, the commune has established a forest protection and management team consisting of 7 comrades. The team is responsible for assigning members to monitor and look after the forest every day with the households, thanks to which this rare ironwood forest is still preserved to this day.

Lim trees have a diameter of 60 - 80 cm and are over 30 m high. Photo: Van Truong

In the tourism development project, Yen Thanh district has turned the primeval forests in Lang Thanh commune into an eco-tourism destination. This is both a source of pride for each local resident to raise their responsibility to protect and preserve the lim forest to keep it green forever.