Yellow apricot blossoms in sacred Yen Tu mountain
Vu Mien/VOV journalist in the Northwest region -
(VOVWORLD) - Yellow apricot trees are blooming in Yen Tu primary forest in spring. People pay a pilgrimage to Yen Tu mountain (Uong Bi city, Quang Ninh province) in spring to worship and admire “perennial apricot trees” growing only in Yen Tu.
 Yen Tu apricot trees are endemic plant which grow scattered in the forests and dangerous mountain cliffs. |
 Legend has it that in the 13th century, after handing over the throne to his son, King Tran Nhan Tong went to Yen Tu mountain to live a holy life. He and other Buddhist followers planted a lot of yellow apricot trees in the surrounding area. After 7 centuries, the yellow apricot trees have grown into apricot forests. |
 The 10-km road from National Highway 18 to Yen Tu mountain has many apricot gardens multiplied from “perennial apricot trees”. |
 54-year old Pham Van Thang is one of the first apricot growers in Uong Bi city. He said Yen Tu apricot flowers have pure fragrance.
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 Quang Ninh province has approved a project to grow Yen Tu apricot flowers since 2012 to make it a provincial specialty.
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 Apricot trees grow in high elevation blossoming later than those in lower level.
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 There are 20 perennial apricot trees of over 100 years in Yen Tu primary forest. They have been recognized as national heritage trees.
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 Perennial apricot trees are typical images of the sacred Yen Tu mountain, the ancestral land of the Truc Lam zen sect. |
Vu Mien/VOV journalist in the Northwest region