[Photo] Admiring orange cotton flowers on the first "Vietnam heritage tree" in Quang Binh

NDO - In Thiet Son village 3, Thach Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province, there is a kapok tree (also known as cotton tree) that has been associated with life and has been considered a "treasure" by the local people for hundreds of years. The tree is about 25m high, with a canopy of about 20m. The trunk diameter at the base is 5-6m. In the warm spring, the tree blooms beautiful orange flowers. At this time, flocks of white-cheeked langurs and many species of birds come to the kapok tree to forage, creating a peaceful and beautiful scene in the middle of the vast green countryside.

Báo Nhân dân•28/03/2025

In 2024, the kapok tree in Thach Hoa was recognized by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment as the first "Vietnam Heritage Tree" in Quang Binh and this is also the only ancient tree in this province to be recognized as a heritage tree.

The following images were recorded by Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tu, Head of the White-cheeked Langur Management Team of Tuyen Hoa community, using a fly cam device donated by Comrade Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, President of the Vietnam Journalists Association, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Human Act Prize in September 2024.

[Photo] Admiring orange cotton flowers on the first

The kapok tree grows under a limestone mountain, its trunk is so wide that 10 people cannot hug it. Through the ups and downs of history, the kapok tree still stands tall, stretching to catch the sun and wind, becoming the "soul" of the village.

Unlike the red-flowered kapok trees in the northern provinces, the ancient kapok tree in Thach Hoa (Quang Binh) has orange flowers, shining brightly between the sky and earth.

Kapok flowers usually bloom from March to April every year. The flowers have 5 thick petals, orange in color, and are large, creating a picturesque green mountain landscape.

The kapok tree has many large branches that shade an area, each branch has many flowers that create unique winding shapes in the air.

During the cotton tree blossom season, flocks of white-cheeked langurs and many species of birds often come to the cotton trees to forage, creating a peaceful and beautiful countryside scene. (Photo: DINH HUY TRI)

Along with flowers, on the branches of the kapok tree there are many other parasitic plants creating a unique flora in the Tuyen Hoa white-cheeked langur community conservation area.

The orange color of the cotton flowers dots the green background of the hills, creating a brilliant scene, creating a peaceful living environment for the white-cheeked langurs here.