Pictures: Saigon’s unique trees

After over 300 years of history, Ho Chi Minh City has preserved many ancient trees as the living proof of the primeval forest in the past.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sang, an official of the Saigon Zoo, who has been working here for over 50 years, said this gui tree is the only and last living representative of the primary forest. Saigon today used to be a large primeval forest, which was explored by the French. This gui tree is even older than the zoo.   The tree is considered by the zoo authorities as the "god tree". The tree is inviolable. "Many people think that it is a normal tree but this tree has great historical significance because it confirms the origin of the formation of Saigon. And for that reason, the tree is taken care in a very special way," Sang said. Thanks to the unique trees like this, the Saigon Zoo is among the world’s top 10 zoos and botanical gardens in the world where the oldest species of trees are preserved.   The banyan tree on Ly Tu Trong Road, in front of the HCM City City Museum, is probably the oldest tree in Saigon. The tree is over 300 years old and regarded as a green symbol of the city.   Now over several hundred years old, the tree remains green and healthy.   The tamarind tree in the Thu Thiem monastery is more than 170 years old, the same with the monastery.   At the foot of the tree is a stone stele noting the day this tree was planted - 1840.   However, this tree may be cut down for the expansion of the Thu Thiem urban area.   This is the largest tree in the Saigon Zoo and HCM City, with the number 1552. It is over 40 meters high, with a trunk diameter (1.3 meters from the root) of nearly four meters. In 1864 the zoo was founded, and the tree was planted the next year. It is over 150 years old.   Some people believe that if they touch this mahogany tree and pray, good luck will come. Any visitor to the Saigon Zoo takes photo with the tree. The fig tree in the Saigon Zoo is the oldest fig tree in Saigon. It is more than 160 years old.   Its trunk diameter is over 2m and it is over 10m tall.   The tree yields fruits in August-September.   This almond tree was brought from the Spratly Islands and planted on the bank of Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal. It was planted by former President Nguyen Minh Triet and HCM City Party Secretary Le Thanh Hai 12 years ago. This tree is considered a symbol of an indomitable spirit.