VietNamNet Bridge - Forested areas are protected in a small village in Phong Dien district in Thua Thien-Hue thanks to a special agreement of village elders.

Sieu Quan hamlet of Phong Binh commune in Phong Dien district, just 40 kilometers from Hue City, is well known for its loc vung (Barringtonia acutangula) forests that are hundreds of years old.

The village elders said that the trees are alive and healthy because they are protected by village convention.

Nguyen Hieu, head of Sieu Quan hamlet, said the ancestors grew loc vung on the pagoda’s land in the hamlet hundreds of years ago. After realizing that the trees had  characteristics suitable to the soil, they decided to grow loc vung on a large scale on embankments to protect soil and prevent waves.

There are up to thousands of ancient loc vung trees in Sieu Quan, stretching over 2 kilometers and serving as a belt protecting people from rain and storms.

Loc vung, which is a precious ornamental tree, has been hunted by traders in recent years. They are willing to pay very high amounts for ancient trees in Sieu Quan. However, the trees still grow well there, serving as the green lung and the protector of the village. 

Forested areas are protected in a small village in Phong Dien district in Thua Thien-Hue thanks to a special agreement of village elders.

Local people are united in protecting the trees, which are valuable assets for them. They draw up a village convention and promise to observe it. The convention says that anyone who fells trees will have to pay a fine and his or her name will be exposed through the commune’s loudspeaker.

The conventions can be amended every year by adults, who gather at village meetings and discuss new issues.

In Sieu Quan village, 70 percent of the 320 hectares of forests are loc vung forests. “Sieu Quan’s convention stipulates that those who chop down loc vung will have to pay a fine of VND500,000, have their names exposed to shame and they will have to prepare betel, areca and liquor to beg for villagers’ pardon."

Sieu Quan’s people, for many generations, have considered the forests as the soul of the village and have made every effort to protect the forest. 

Nguyen Ba Hiep, an old man in Sieu Quan, said two years ago, many illegal loggers came to the village to try to take the trees away for sale. However, as the local people were united and determined to protect the trees, the village's soul remained protected. 


BVPL