Cat Tien National Park or Nam Cat Tien tourist site is referred to as the 'green lung' of Vietnam's Southeast region because it shares dozens of kilometers with residential areas along the Dong Nai River.

Cat Tien National Park is home to hundreds of rare and ancient plant species, including the enormous Tung (Tetrameles nudiflora), Crape-myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Banyan, and Curtain fig (Ficus microcarpa L.).

The image depicts a swollen trunk of water hyacinth Crape-myrtle alongside the route from the center of Cat Tien National Park to the Bau Sau area. The area of water hyacinth Crape-myrtle comprises five colonies of trees, with a trunk that can reach a diameter of two or three people's fathoms, and it is frequently referred to as "Princess of Five Dragons" by tourists.

Visitors can explore Cat Tien via tram, garden truck, bicycle, or on foot, among other options. The park's designed sightseeing routes are typically less than 15 kilometers one way, so visitors can choose the mode that best suits them, and there are many fascinating locations to visit along the way.

The Curtain fig, the most distant destination, is located at the conclusion of the sightseeing route, approximately 6 kilometers from the Bau Sau wetland in the road. This tree is about 400 years old, over 8 meters tall, spans hundreds of meters, and encompasses a small stream. Hundreds of trunks and branches intertwine to create a massive curtain fig tree with a distinctive form.

The stream passing through the area at the base of the Curtain fig tree has been transformed into a circular lake, with water perpetually streaming in and out, so that travelers can swim and cool off here. From a bird's-eye view, a small island with three large tree trunks in the midst of the lake resembles the eye of a forest gazing up at the blue sky.

A banyan tree that is hundreds of years old and lies in the midst of an old forest is one of the illusory sights encountered by travelers. Six mighty, skyward-reaching roots, intertwined at the summit, cover tens of thousands of square meters of land.

Numerous banyan trees in Cat Tien are referred to as "strangled banyan" because birds or primates consume the banyan fruit and then unintentionally sow banyan seeds on the stumps of old trees, resulting in the birth of juvenile banyan trees that rely on ancient trunks. To survive and contend for living space, they will not hesitate to suffocate the host plant until it reaches maturity and its roots are long enough to penetrate the soil deeply.

Ben Cu rock cascades is one of the locations that exemplifies the unique and untamed nature of Cat Tien. Looking down from above, the placid Dong Nai river becomes turbulent when it encounters these rapids; the jagged rock strata that extend for hundreds of meters cause the water to foam white and create ripples everywhere. During the rainy season, when the dark alluvial river water travels through the slick green forests, the contrast and intensity of this image are amplified.

In Cat Tien forest, the 400-500-year-old Crape-myrtle trees astonish first-time visitors. Currently, Cat Tien National Park has been designated as a "World Biosphere Reserve" by UNESCO, and the Red Book of Vietnam lists hundreds of uncommon animal species.

The placard provides visitors with information about the 700-year-old "Uncle Dong's Tung Tree" in the Cat Tien forest. According to the garden's information, this magnificent tree was visited by the late Vietnamese prime minister Pham Van Dong on February 12, 1988. Cat Tien National Park has christened it "Uncle Dong's Tung tree" to honor him and to remind future generations of their conservation responsibilities.

In the photograph, there is a 400-year-old tung tree with a height of 30 meters in Cat Tien National Park; the original portion of the tree could accommodate nearly 20 persons. This ancient tree in Cat Tien forest is known as "Thunder Lizard" due to its peculiar roots.

Authors: Tung Dinh - Bao Thang

Translated by Linh Linh