A 700-year-old gold apple tree (or yellow Diospyros decandra Lour ) in the north-central province of Ha Tinh has been recognized as a heritage tree by the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE).
The circumference of the tree trunk at the ground base is measured at 12 meters. It has a height of 35-50 meters. The trunk diameter needs 5-6 people to be able to make one full hug.
Despite the impacts of natural disasters, the tree located in Kim Son village in Kim Hoa Commune of the mountainous district of Huong Son is still alive and grows, and produces thousands of gold apple fruits from May to August.
According to a legend, King Le Loi and head of the Coc Son troop Nguyen Tuan Thien killed a white horse to swear to fight the Chinese Ming invaders at the tree’s base.
In 2001, local people joined hands to raise a fund to build a temple as a place to worship King Le Loi and Mandarin Nguyen Tuan Thien. The tree was also a venue and shelter for revolutionary forces during wartime.
