This is what happened to Le Van Thuong of Nghe An Province who has five big old thi (decandrous persimmon) trees in his yard in Village 2 of Nghi Loc District’s Nghi Thinh Commune.

It is not known exactly when the old trees were planted; but the rough barks and big hollows in the tree trunks impress ornamental tree experts.

The foot of the biggest tree is more than six meters in circumference and the circumference of the foot of the smallest of the five trees is almost five meters.

Despite the rough barks, the 10- meter-high trees have green leaves all year round and produce lots of fruit in season.

Thuong said, “I didn’t know these trees were so valuable until the two men from Hanoi (last year) offered such a high price ($27,046 per tree).”

As headman of the 17th generation of the Le Van family, Thuong lives with his wife in a simple house. VND2.5 billion ($135,230) would be like striking the jackpot for his family; but Thuong decided not to sell the trees.

The two disappointed Hanoians left; but they called Thuong a few days later to increase the total offer by $27,046 to VND3 billion ($162,276) for the five trees, but Thuong refused, once again.

Thuong said he couldn’t sell the trees because they were what his ancestors left to him. He also said he would feel sorry that people could not come to see the precious trees in his yard.

In the annals of the Le Van family, an entry reads: “In the 18th century during the reign of the Quang Trung King Dynasty, the family had a general named Le Van Hoan who was in charge of Nghe An. Once, as he passed Nghi Thinh, he saw the sandy area had those five trees. He was surprised the trees grew well all the year round. He believed it indicated that the land was good and he moved his family from Nghi Kieu Commune, some 30km from there, to this area.”

There is no more information about the five big trees in the family records. Thuong said he is happy to welcome visitors who drop by to admire the trees when they come to the Cua Lo Beach on a vacation.

Beware of buyers

In the Nam Kim 1 Elementary School campus in Nghe An’s Nam Dan District, there are 19 Barringtonia acutangula trees (known as loc vung in Vietnamese, they belong to the Lecythidaceae family of woody plants) and four sanh (Ficus indica L.) trees.

In front of the six-room school is a communal house that has been restored recently.

According to the elderly people in the village, the communal house, called Giap Dong, has been there for a very long time, worshipping Ly Nhat Minh, a general of the Ly Dynasty in the year 1040 or so.

Recently, people interested in old trees have come to the place and asked to buy them.

Dang Xuan Quang, chairman of Nam Kim Commune Party’s Committee, said, “They have offered to pay more than VND2 billion ($108,184) for all the trees. If we sell them, it will be enough to build a good school for the children to replace the old one we use now.”

While commune officials are tempted by the offer, residents like Thuong have said they would not sell their trees no matter how much people offer to pay.

They consider the trees a precious gift that their ancestors left to them.

Those coveting these venerable trees are people with money wanting to possess beautiful and precious things as status symbols.

Reported by Khanh Hoan