Dang Quang Dung, a resident of Nghi Duc commune in Lam Dong province (formerly Sung Nhan commune, Duc Linh district, Binh Thuan), proudly refers to the tree as Tiên lão giáng trần, meaning “The Immortal Hermit Descends to Earth.”

Now 126 years old, the yellow mai tree boasts remarkable proportions: a trunk circumference of 1.4 meters, a root base encased in a 5-meter-wide structure, a height of 5 meters, and a canopy spanning 20 meters.

Due to its sheer size and age, maintenance is intense. Annual care costs run around 20 million VND ($800), including 6 million VND ($240) just for leaf-stripping before Tet - a practice done to redirect energy to bud formation and encourage simultaneous blooming. This alone requires six workers over two days.

The tree’s roots trace back to Duc Linh, where Dung spent years convincing a local family to part with it. He finally succeeded in 2000, becoming its fourth owner. At the time, a 20x50m residential plot in the area cost about 3.5 million VND, yet Dung paid 5 million VND just for the tree - more than the price of land.

Today, he estimates its value at no less than 10 billion VND ($408,000). The tree is so well known in the region that Dung has installed security cameras and ensures round-the-clock watch over it with help from his family.

Despite the cost and effort, Dung remains adamant about keeping Tiên lão giáng trần. "There’s too much destiny and emotional connection between us," he says. "If I sold it, I’d have the money - but when Tet comes and the tree’s not there, I’d cry."

Back in 2023, he showcased the tree at Tao Dan Spring Flower Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. Transporting it required two heavy-duty cranes and cost 150 million VND ($6,100). At the event, a buyer from Dong Thap province offered 5.1 billion VND ($208,000) in cash, hoping to take the tree home before Lunar New Year's Eve. However, because the tree was still on display, the sale fell through.

Later, a major corporation executive offered 6 billion VND ($245,000), but the deal stalled over VAT-related complications.

For Tet 2026, from February 12–22, Dung has decided not to bring the tree back to Ho Chi Minh City. Instead, he will display it in his home garden, allowing locals and visitors from across Vietnam to admire it. During Tet 2025, more than 20,000 people visited his garden to see the tree in person.

Dung emphasizes he and his family are not in the business of selling trees. He opens the garden to the public free of charge and even built resting huts, tea areas, and restroom facilities to welcome guests. Alongside Tiên lão giáng trần, hundreds of other mai trees bloom in his expansive garden.

To Dung, no price tag could ever match the emotional weight of this living heirloom - one that bridges generations, seasons, and the essence of Tet itself.

Tran Chung