Xom Trai 13-root banyan tree

Xom Trai banyan tree is located in Dang Giang ward, Ngo Quyen district, and about 5 kilometers south-east from the city centre. According to local elderly, this banyan tree is nearly 1,000 years old, consists of 13 roots, and its canopy covers a large area of about one Northern Vietnamese mẫu (equivalent to 3,600 squared meters).

The tree is just about 10 meters height, but its 30 branches of different sizes spread out horizontally to a diameter of up to 40 meters. Branches are supported by adventitious roots which look like props. The tree has 12 big adventitious roots along with the main root which brought out the name “13-root banyan tree”. Many people believe that this might be the most root banyan tree in Vietnam.

The 13-root banyan tree is a beautiful landscape of Haiphong city which has attracted various visitors for years. It is a unique destination for tourists when taking Haiphong city-tour. The 13-root banyan tree is not only a unique and strange-looking landscape, but also meets the spiritual demand of visitors. Coming to this place, visitors can burn incenses in the shrine by the main root to aspire luck and happiness for themselves and their families. On the occasion of the first or fifteenth day of lunar month, especially the lunar new year’s eve, there are a huge number of visitors to the place to pray for luck./.

Translated by Luu Vu Quyen