Ninh Binh: Ancient si tree with canopy of 54 hectares

VietNamNet Bridge – During our visit to the Trang An wetland area in Ninh Binh province–to learn about Tong Truong anabas and a specialty snake-head species, which were only for the royal families, we unexpectedly entered a primeval forest and saw a giant si tree, which covers an entire valley and a few mountains by its canopy.

Tong Truong anabas is described in even folk songs and poem. In the past, it was a specialty of Ninh Binh, which was tribute to the king. This species of anabas is very famous but just a few people have opportunity to taste it.

This species of fish is now bred by some farms in Ninh Binh. In the wild, it only lives in Trang An, especially in Tham valley, which is strictly protected.

It took us more than an hour on boat to Tran temple. It is a small temple hidden deeply in Tham valley, which is part of the Trang An landscape and relic complex. The temple is taken care of by an old man, named Duong Dinh Thanh.

Mr Thanh was born in the neighborhood of Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. In the 70s, every day, he and a group of young people rowed to Tham valley to catch fish and eels. This is the most remote valley of the Trang An submerged area.

Earning his living from this valley for decades, Thanh decided to spend the remaining time in his life at the Tran temple in Tham valley.

He led us to go deeply into the valley to seek the special anabas. We wandered for nearly a day in the valley. Tham Valley is very strange, with an interlaced system of si trees.

Si trees not only cover the entire valley of 54 hectares, but also some mountains around the valley, forming a giant primeval si forest.

We were surprised about the forest and did not understand what kind of si trees was but Mr Thanh said: “This is not a si forest, it is only one si tree. It may be the oldest and largest si tree in the world. It is a thousand-year-old tree. Its coverage is tens of hectares.”

We were very surprised and Thanh further explained: “You cannot find any separate si tree growing in this valley. Although there are many roots, stems, branches, but they are all stuck together, spreading out like a giant spider net of kilometers long so it is still just a tree.”

It is really strange that one si tree spreads all over a valley and several mountains. It is a strange thing ever in the world, not only in Vietnam.

To explain this, Thanh led us to the Tran Temple. It is a small temple, built of stone, lying at the foot of a rock mountain. The temple worships Thanh Minh Dai Vuong.

The temple was built in the Dinh dynasty, called Hiem Temple. In the Tran dynasty, King Tran Canh changed its name into Tran temple and that name has existed until today.

Thanh stood on the edge of the temple, pointing across the valley. He said that, according to legend written on the stone stele in the temple, in this valley, a terrible massacre happened 1,000 years ago.

General Pham Bach Ho of the Dinh Dynasty brought 1,000 troops into the valley to fight against the Early Le Dynasty, when Le Hoan usurped the throne from the Dinh Dynasty. This valley became the base of Pham Bach Ho. 

Le Hoan surrounded the valley. Pham Bach Ho and 1,000 soldiers were killed here. Blood flooded the valley, so since then it has been called Tham (blood) Valley. 

The stone stele in the temple also noted that, after 1,000 soldiers were buried here, the local people planted on each grave a si tree.

Strangely, these si trees spread, stick together to form a network like cobwebs. According to legend, the original si trees are now over 1,000 years old.

Thanh said he traveled around the valley to see the si network but he could not find out any separate si tree. Oddly, all si trunks are very small, not large as usual thousand-year-old trees.