Regret for the hundred-year-old "trees" uprooted in storm number 3 in Hanoi's Old Quarter

After storm Yagi (storm number 3), on the morning of September 8, throughout Hanoi , there was almost no street without fallen or broken trees.

Tiếc nuối những — The "5 in 1" tree with si, da, sanh, bodhi, and nhoi growing and planting together in front of house number 48 Hang Cot

Video of "5-1" man on Hang Cot street passing away after storm number 3

Among the fallen and broken trees lying scattered across many streets, there are many "elders", ancient trees, giant trees over a hundred years old, making the locals feel regretful.

Looking with sorrowful eyes at the "5 in 1" tree with si, da, sanh, nhoi, and bodhi trees growing and planting together in front of house number 48 Hang Cot, Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, on Hang Cot street, sadly shared that the "old man" is over a hundred years old.

"After the bombs and bullets of Hanoi in 1946 and through the vicissitudes of time and the storms of the century, the tree still stands firmly in front of the Martyrs' Memorial House of Hang Ma Ward. But looking at the roots, they were tightly surrounded by underground structures and the historic storm No. 3 knocked it down. It's such a pity, so heartbreaking" - Mr. Vinh confided.

Also on Hang Cot Street, Ms. Phuong, the long-time owner of a hot rice cake shop, said a cotton tree over 50 years old fell on her house.

"The tree fell on my shop but luckily we were fine. My whole family and neighbors felt sorry for the cotton tree which was taller than a 5-story house and provided shade. If only the tree had been trimmed more, it probably wouldn't have fallen," Ms. Phuong confided.

Mr. Tran Nguyen Trung, on Hang Bun Street, expressed his condolences for the over-100-year-old banyan tree at the intersection of Hang Bun and Pham Hong Thai that was uprooted.

"The twin "grandparents" are over a hundred years old. Last night, storm number 3 uprooted one of the trees, separating the two. They are ancient trees, and they have souls, so no one dares to touch them, even break a branch. What a pity," said Mr. Trung.

Mr. Le Thanh Long on Hang Ma Street also sadly regretted the over 60-year-old banyan tree in front of his barber shop. He remembered the tree was planted when his parents were young.

"My family has been born, raised and lived under this banyan tree for three generations. So many memories of "him" came flooding back to me at this moment. I remember the days of picking ripe banyan fruits or breaking green banyan fruits to eat the seeds and being stung by hairs or caterpillars that itched like crazy" - Mr. Long shared.

Ms. Xuyen on Hang Vai street also expressed her grief over the nearly 100-year-old mother-of-pearl tree collapsing on the street.

"The tree provided shade and shelter for a street corner, for many generations on this street. Now that he is gone, I don't know when we can plant another tree like this" - Mrs. Xuyen said sadly.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh on Quan Thanh street pointed to Hang Dau flower garden and said that this giant milk flower tree that was uprooted must be a hundred years old.

"I am nearly 70 years old this year and when I was born and grew up, I saw the tree planted here. Yesterday the wind howled terribly, the treetops seemed to twist but luckily it did not fall on the house" - Ms. Tinh said.