Ancient, gigantic trees are a national heritage   A group of gigantic po mu trees (Fokienia hodginsii), some more than a 1,000-years-old, in central Quang Nam Province's Tay Giang District has been included on the national heritage register. — Photo tienphong.vn QUANG NAM - A group of 725 gigantic po mu trees (Fokienia hodginsii), some more than a 1,000-years-old, in central Quang Nam Province's Tay Giang District has been included on the national heritage register. The ancient trees are located inside a po mu forest on Zi' lieng mountain more than 1,500 metres above sea level. There are more than 1,200 of the trees stretching across the two communes of A Xan and Tr'Hy. Of them, 725 have diameters ranging upwards from 1.5 metres were recognised as heritage trees by the Viet Nam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment (VACNE). The biggest tree is nearly three metres in diameter and about 22 metres in height. "The po mu forest is not only biologically important, but also meaningful in the spiritual life of the ethnic residents in the area," said Tay Giang District People's Committee Chairman Bh'ling Mia. However, illegal logging has increased dramatically in the last three years because po mu timber is high quality with a unique smell and beautiful wood grain. The timber is also hated by termites. Authorities set up teams of youths and elders in the two communes to take turns protecting the trees, said Mia. The po mu tree has been on the Viet Nam Red Data Book of endangered species since 1996. Another two da sop (Ficus trees) aged more than 700 years old in Arang 1 village in Axan commune were given national heritage recognition at the same time. — VNS