Thua Thien-Hue(VNA) – The central province of Thua Thien-Hue launched a tree plantingfestival on February 2 with 120 sao den trees (Hopea odorata), a rare species,planted in An Dong ward of Hue city.
The tree planting festival has become a custompracticed whenever a new year comes in Vietnam.
It is a response to the call made by PresidentHo Chi Minh, who wrote an article entitled “Tree planting festival” publishedby the Nhan dan (People) newspaper on November 28, 1959. The article analysedthe importance of planting trees to the country and each people and encouragedall people to engage in the work.
Thua Thien-Hue aims to plant 7,000ha of forestin 2017, raising the local forest coverage to 57 percent.
The province targets 61 percent of its areacovered by forest by 2020.
While special-use forest is hoped to make upover 26 percent of the total forest area, protection forest and commercialforest are expected to respectively account for more than 30 percent and nearly44 percent by 2020.-VNA