Heart-wrenching moments with the blooming of the crape myrtle flowers.

WHERE IS THE ORIGINAL ROSEWOOD TREE LOCATED?

Every April, those far from Tam Ky are filled with nostalgia for beautiful memories of this vibrant city, simply by looking at photos taken by friends of the blooming crape myrtle trees in the streets. "Looking at these pictures, I remember the days I used to wander under the bright yellow crape myrtle trees. Just a gentle breeze would send the petals falling all over the streets, creating a very romantic scene. Having been away from this city for almost 10 years, I always want to return during the crape myrtle blooming season to immerse myself in this space full of memories," shared Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (38 years old, residing in Da Nang City), adding, "I'm very happy that in recent years, Tam Ky City has organized a crape myrtle flower festival with many diverse activities so I can bring my family to experience it."

The Tam Ky City Sưa Flower Festival is held on the Sưa flower street in Huong Tra village.

The Tam Ky Festival - The Season of Dalbergia tonkinensis Flowers, organized by the People's Committee of Tam Ky City last April, was the 6th edition of the festival. This was considered the largest-scale festival to date, featuring 20 activities, most notably the ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing the cluster of 9 Dalbergia tonkinensis trees in Huong Tra village (Hoa Huong Ward) as Vietnamese Heritage Trees.

Throughout Tam Ky City, rosewood trees are planted along many roads, totaling over 5,000 trees. However, these are only the "younger" generations of rosewood trees. Even the nine heritage rosewood trees, with an average age of about 100 years and the oldest tree around 150 years old, are actually young saplings. Huong Tra village, the birthplace of Tam Ky's "rosewood forest" as it exists today, once had a giant rosewood tree.

"Is that the original Dalbergia tonkinensis tree, from which people take branches and twigs for propagation?" I asked Mr. Tran Xuan Quang (76 years old, a knowledgeable local history teacher). Mr. Quang slowly replied, "According to history, around the early 17th century, people from Thanh Hoa migrated south and settled in Huong Tra village. This is considered the 'mother village,' one of the first villages of ancient Tam Ky. Because they worked on the river, the ancestors settled in the Tam Ky river junction, on the alluvial sandbanks along the river. In the year of Giap Ty 1864 (during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc), a great flood occurred, and the people of Huong Tra village requested to mobilize their strength to build a dike to prevent flooding. This was also the first flood control project to protect the people of Tam Ky."

The blooming of the crape myrtle flowers in April evokes emotions in many people far from Tam Ky.

Mr. Quang said that, in order to protect the dike, which also serves as a road connecting Huong Tra village to the outside world, before each rainy season, the villagers cut branches from the Dalbergia tonkinensis tree planted next to the village temple since the time of its founding and planted them on both sides of the dike to prevent erosion and retain the soil. Over the years, the road leading into Huong Tra village has been shaded by these Dalbergia tonkinensis trees, and they have aged over time, meeting the criteria to become Vietnamese Heritage Trees.

"In 1936, the ancestral rosewood tree completed its sacred historical mission when it was cut down to use the wood for the restoration of the temple next door. My grandfather was the one who cut down this rosewood tree, and he said that the ancestral rosewood tree was so big that it would take several people to encircle it," Mr. Quang recounted.

HONORING THE BEAUTY OF THE ROSEWOOD FLOWER

Teacher Tran Xuan Quang shared that the Sưa flower festival in Huong Tra village, after six editions, has gradually stabilized and become ingrained in the people's consciousness. From the story of a plant with beautiful flowers, it has become a festival that, while modern in nature, also contains many unique values, recalling history and honoring ancestors. This is especially true since the festival includes many activities associated with the sacred Huong Tra communal house. During the festival season, which lasts until mid-April 2024, the People's Committee of Tam Ky City organized a series of events linked to traditional values, such as: the opening ceremony of Huong Tra village, the Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese dress) festival, boat races, performances of traditional folk singing, village chess competitions… along with many vibrant cultural and sporting activities.

The vibrant yellow blossoms of the crape myrtle tree cast their reflections on the Tam Ky River during every festival.

Mr. Vo Thanh Cung, Director of the Tam Ky City Culture - Sports - Communication Center, said that the crape myrtle flower festival is organized to honor the beauty of the flower and attract tourists to Tam Ky City to visit, experience, and admire the crape myrtle flowers. Therefore, the organization of the festival is usually not fixed on a specific date but must closely follow each flowering season.

"The crape myrtle blossoms when April arrives, but no one can say for sure exactly when. Usually, the flowers bloom in clusters within a month, in 3-4 waves. The flowers will bloom profusely in the second wave, about 8-10 days after the first. The flowers burst open for 3 days and then fall, creating a beautiful carpet of yellow blossoms. That's also when the festival begins," Mr. Cung said.

With the people as the main focus of the festival and aiming for the title of "city of golden flowers," the organizing committee launched activities to promote the planting of Dalbergia tonkinensis trees throughout Tam Ky City. Authorities encouraged residents to donate Dalbergia tonkinensis trees aged 50-60 years with a trunk diameter of 30 cm or more. During the recent festival, the city commended households that, despite donating Dalbergia tonkinensis trees, continued to make efforts to preserve and protect them. Mr. Cung stated that, in addition to the policy of expanding the area planted with Dalbergia tonkinensis trees, the city also directed a review of ancient native trees to continue proposing their recognition as heritage trees.

"For the people of Tam Ky, if the crape myrtle flower is a source of pride, then the crape myrtle flower festival is an invitation for tourists to come not only to admire it but also to enjoy it. It's no coincidence that the crape myrtle flower was chosen as the identifying symbol in the Tam Ky logo, which was announced in September 2024. With the theme 'Land and Water in Bloom,' above the logo is a stylized crape myrtle flower in full bloom, symbolizing the convergence of culture, land, water, and people of Tam Ky," Mr. Cung shared. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-le-hoi-doc-dao-thon-thuc-cung-mua-hoa-sua-185241128232610588.htm