Often standing proudly against a poetic village gate (Vietnamese called "Cong lang") or near a wharf or temple, the tree beckons to visitors from far and wide and serves as a goodwill ambassador, if one has the liberty to personify inanimate objects.
Whenver someone wants a symbol to represent a village, there's no candidate more promising than a banyan, a "maidinh" (roof of a communal house), or a village gate. The tree has been so assimilated into local culture and is so dear to we Vietnamese that shrines are often built beneath them. Villagers believe that a tutelary god dwells there that protects their community from harm.
A banyan may also be deified. We have a saying: "Cay thi co ma, cay da co than" - meaning "fig tree has ghosts, the banyan tree has deities".
The Banyan, which can survive for several centuries, is seen as the embodiment of longevity and indestructibility. It stands witness to the evolution of men and even of nature. No wonder it is believed to represent eternal life.
The tree can live long, but eventually it has to grow old and decay. It is a symbol of both existence and of extinction, of both the temporal world and of the undying soul. It has pride of place in literature and finds its way into poetry and folk songs such as the following heart-rending poem:
" Tram nam dau co hen ho
Cay da ben cu, con do khac dua
Cay da cu ben do xua
Bo hanh co nghia nang mua cung cho..."
(Meaning: Though a hundred - years old promise maybe brokend.
The banyan tree is still there. The boat transporting people is different.
The same old banyan tree, the same old wharf
I Still wait...)
Normally a tree stands next to a village gate, thus village dwellers must pass both the gate and the banyan daily to go to the fields.
Someone traveling to or from a distant place usually ends up greeting loved ones under the tree's sumptuous canopies. Girls in love make a promise near the banyan to wait for their loved ones because they believe the deity of the tree will bear witness to their vow.
Like many other things, the spirit of the banyan is in the eye of the beholder. An old farmer imagined the tree to be a strong farmer with firm and rugged appearance, according to an old story. An asprirant student, wandering around a village to get some fresh air in the fields on a summer afternoon, could dream that the tree had the spirit of a gifted intellectual.
Children tend to think the banyan is natural, pure and mischievous child since the tree is where they play in the breezy afternoon.
There are generally more than a few banyans in most northern villages.
For many villages, their centuries - old banyan trees are tourist landmarks. The oldest banyan tree in Vietnam, and possibly the most beautiful, is over 300 years old. It is in the yard of Hong Loc Primary School in Can Loc district in the central province of Ha Tinh.
Elders in this village say: when they were children, the banyan was already very old. In 1965, a hurricane knocked it ove. Miraculously, another storm propped it up.
This tree is dubbed the "dragon-shaped banyan" because it resembles a bunch of dragons. It was bombed several times during the war, but lost only a few branches. Strangely enough, it has not been damaged by worms or by decay.
Another legendary 300 years old banyan is in the village of Mong Phu in Ha Tay Province.A banyan with 13 roots in the northern port city of Hai Phong attracts travelers from all over the country. It is worshipped as a deity on the first and 15th day of every lunar month, as well as on Lunar New Year's Eve. Worshippers come, burn incense, and pray for a peaceful life.
