Buddhist monk Thich The Tuong has been working hard to turn his onehectare farm into a bamboo conservatory on the Son Tra Mountain incentral Da Nang city, which protects over 110 bamboo species.
Of these, four are almost considered extinct in Vietnam.
Thegarden, located on the Son Tra mountainside, eight kilometres from thecity centre, is open to all visitors, who wish to see bambooconservation in a rural setting, along with a fishing pond and a stoneinstallation.
"The garden was donated by a farmer in Son Tra. Iworked the land and grew different bamboo species that I had collectedfrom different provinces," he recalled.
"I have collected a thirdof the total 300 bamboo varieties in Viet Nam. Bamboo plantation hasgrown over the past decade, dotting the sloping hills of the Son TraMountain."
He said he named the garden Son Tra Tinh Vien (Son Tra Tranquil garden).
The48-year-old monk said he settled down in the area and started lookingafter the garden as he wanted to continue with his religious work andpreserve the bamboo gene at the same time.
"I studied literatureat Ho Chi Minh City's Social Sciences and Humanities College, so I founda connection among bamboo, literature and Buddhism," he explained.
"TheBamboo garden is my effort to preserve nature on the Son Tra Mountain,which has been recognised as a nature reserve. It would help protect theevergreen peninsula in the tourist city in the future," he said.
"Bamboohas inspired me to compose poems and literature, as well as lead areligious life. I have also created a tranquil corner in the garden forreligious meditation," he said.
The monk added that the existence of the bamboo garden follows his life as a Buddhist.
Fourbamboo species are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, include the Trucden Ha Giang (Phyllostachys nigra Munro); Truc Hoa Long (Phyllostachys);Truc Vuong (Chimonobambusa quadrangularis); Tre Mien Nam (Sirocalamusaff latiflorus McClure). All have been growing well in the garden.
Le Thi Thoa, an ex-student of biology and environment at the Da Nang'sTeachers' Training college, said the garden is a full of a collection ofbamboo genes.
"I spent two years working on a thesis on bamboo,and the garden was my approach for research. The monk assisted meconsiderably in my study of bamboo," Thoa said.
"It is a preciousgarden of bamboo genes in Vietnam as bamboo forests on the riverheadshave been over-exploited or destroyed. Bamboo is rare in villages as thelocal people prefer to grow cash crops or profitable plants," she said.
Shesaid the development of more bamboo conservation centres will helpprotect valuable sources of flora and their genes in Vietnam.
"Bambooalso plays a role in biodiversity, along with other plants. It is asource of food for animals in the forest. Bamboo can slow down heavyfloods in riverheads and smooth downstream flows," said Nguyen Thi Tinh,a biologist from the Frankfurt Zoological Society of Germany.
"Landfor bamboo in rural villages has been reserved for easy money farmingor urban development. So, the ever green plant has graduallydisappeared," she said.
She said bamboo is also symbolic of the vitality and powerfulness of Vietnamese culture and its people.
Themonk said he brought species from Japan, Thailand, India and Africa,whenever he visited these countries. "Bamboo can be grown as bonsai in afamily garden or can be sold in the market. People just think bamboo isfor construction of cottages, but it can be a source of craft in ruralareas," he explained.
"Bamboo is also be used a raw material forproduction of bamboo charcoal-based toothpaste or tooth brushes in Chinaand Korea," he said.
The garden is a favourite photography spotfor young people on the weekends, since it is still rare to find aprecious genes garden of bamboo in the central region.-VNA
Of these, four are almost considered extinct in Vietnam.
Thegarden, located on the Son Tra mountainside, eight kilometres from thecity centre, is open to all visitors, who wish to see bambooconservation in a rural setting, along with a fishing pond and a stoneinstallation.
"The garden was donated by a farmer in Son Tra. Iworked the land and grew different bamboo species that I had collectedfrom different provinces," he recalled.
"I have collected a thirdof the total 300 bamboo varieties in Viet Nam. Bamboo plantation hasgrown over the past decade, dotting the sloping hills of the Son TraMountain."
He said he named the garden Son Tra Tinh Vien (Son Tra Tranquil garden).
The48-year-old monk said he settled down in the area and started lookingafter the garden as he wanted to continue with his religious work andpreserve the bamboo gene at the same time.
"I studied literatureat Ho Chi Minh City's Social Sciences and Humanities College, so I founda connection among bamboo, literature and Buddhism," he explained.
"TheBamboo garden is my effort to preserve nature on the Son Tra Mountain,which has been recognised as a nature reserve. It would help protect theevergreen peninsula in the tourist city in the future," he said.
"Bamboohas inspired me to compose poems and literature, as well as lead areligious life. I have also created a tranquil corner in the garden forreligious meditation," he said.
The monk added that the existence of the bamboo garden follows his life as a Buddhist.
Fourbamboo species are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, include the Trucden Ha Giang (Phyllostachys nigra Munro); Truc Hoa Long (Phyllostachys);Truc Vuong (Chimonobambusa quadrangularis); Tre Mien Nam (Sirocalamusaff latiflorus McClure). All have been growing well in the garden.
Le Thi Thoa, an ex-student of biology and environment at the Da Nang'sTeachers' Training college, said the garden is a full of a collection ofbamboo genes.
"I spent two years working on a thesis on bamboo,and the garden was my approach for research. The monk assisted meconsiderably in my study of bamboo," Thoa said.
"It is a preciousgarden of bamboo genes in Vietnam as bamboo forests on the riverheadshave been over-exploited or destroyed. Bamboo is rare in villages as thelocal people prefer to grow cash crops or profitable plants," she said.
Shesaid the development of more bamboo conservation centres will helpprotect valuable sources of flora and their genes in Vietnam.
"Bambooalso plays a role in biodiversity, along with other plants. It is asource of food for animals in the forest. Bamboo can slow down heavyfloods in riverheads and smooth downstream flows," said Nguyen Thi Tinh,a biologist from the Frankfurt Zoological Society of Germany.
"Landfor bamboo in rural villages has been reserved for easy money farmingor urban development. So, the ever green plant has graduallydisappeared," she said.
She said bamboo is also symbolic of the vitality and powerfulness of Vietnamese culture and its people.
Themonk said he brought species from Japan, Thailand, India and Africa,whenever he visited these countries. "Bamboo can be grown as bonsai in afamily garden or can be sold in the market. People just think bamboo isfor construction of cottages, but it can be a source of craft in ruralareas," he explained.
"Bamboo is also be used a raw material forproduction of bamboo charcoal-based toothpaste or tooth brushes in Chinaand Korea," he said.
The garden is a favourite photography spotfor young people on the weekends, since it is still rare to find aprecious genes garden of bamboo in the central region.-VNA
