The tree-lined Hoang Dieu street in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The tree planting festival initiated by President Ho Chi Minh has beeen a tradition in Vietnam for more than 60 years, encouraging afforestation and forest protection and greatly contributing to national development.
On November 28, 1959, President Ho wrote an article in the Nhan dan (People) newspaper stressing the significance of tree planting for each person, each family, and the entire nation.
Since the first tree planting festival was held in the spring of 1960, following the late leader’s teachings, authorities and sectors from the central to grassroots levels, along with people nationwide, have joined hands in planting trees whenever a new year arrives.
To uphold this tradition and cope with global climate change, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on December 31, 2020, issued Directive No 45/CT-TTg on organising a tree planting festival and stepping up forest protection and development at the beginning of 2021.
Accordingly, Vietnam is to plant 1 billion trees from now to 2025, including about 182 million this year.
In response, many cities and provinces nationwide have been promoting tree planting this spring.
Naval soldiers plant a tree on An Bang Island of Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province (Photo: VNA)
On February 17 (the sixth day of the Lunar New Year), Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, together with leaders of central agencies and Hanoi, offered incense in commemoration of the country’s ancestors, heroes, and martyrs at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. They also planted trees there on the occasion.
Apart from the tree planting festival, the Vietnam Environment Administration is also establishing a plan for the implementation of a 1 billion tree programme, with a view to protecting the environmental, adapting to climate change, preventing natural disasters, and moving towards sustainable development.
The country views its forests as important ecological resources for socio-economic development and community happiness.
About 25 million Vietnamese people earn 20-40 percent of their annual income from forests./.
