Chu Văn Sơn in the ancient forest of Và Temple. Photo hanoimoi.vn

HÀ NỘI — For more than half his life, one man has quietly protected the trees and tranquillity of a sacred historical site, dedicating himself to the greenery surrounding Và Temple in Sơn Tây Ward of Hà Nội.

He is Chu Văn Sơn, the forest guardian of Và Temple, a historic site in the area.

Born in 1961 into a farming family in the former Hà Tây Province, now Sơn Tây Ward of Hà Nội, Sơn, like other children in the village, grew up with memories of the ancient Và Temple.

After every class, Sơn and his friends walked and played in the ancient forest in the temple area.

Those peaceful and beautiful childhood days nurtured the souls of Sơn and other children in the village, so that the endless green of the ancient forest became deeply ingrained in his subconscious, even without him realising it.

“My house was only 100m from Và Temple, so my friends in the village and I came to play almost every day. What I liked most was going into the cypress forest, playing hide-and-seek and war games with my friends,” Sơn told hanoimoi.vn.

“Especially on hot summer days, it was so cool inside the forest, and we could lie down comfortably under the cypress trees and sleep soundly.”

The years of childhood quickly passed, giving way to the worries of adulthood.

After finishing high school, Sơn immediately threw himself into the struggle for survival.

The burden of making ends meet often left him with little time to remember the cool, green lime forest and the beautiful memories of his childhood.

In 1984, he joined the army and was stationed on the northern border.

Two years later, he was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown to resume his normal life.

This was also the time when he began his current job of guarding the Và Temple.

At that time, the local authority was looking for someone to work as a guardian at Và Temple.

“First, I was not interested in the job. I thought many others were more suitable than I was,” Sơn said.

Candidates had to meet two important criteria: understanding the historical relics well and being a resident.

Based on those two criteria, no one was more suitable than Sơn. Ultimately, he was the one chosen.

Sơn’s main task was to oversee and protect the entire Và Temple historical site, including the primaeval forest surrounding the temple.

"Initially, I worked for the co-operative. My wages were paid in rice. I received 300kg of rice per year. Later, when Trung Hưng commune became a ward, I received a salary and no longer received rice," Sơn said.

He thought the job would only last a short time, until local authorities found someone younger, healthier and more suitable.

But in the blink of an eye, more than 40 years have passed, and Sơn is still there, closely attached to the ancient forest and the sacred Và Temple.

Now in his sixties, Sơn still keeps the routine of patrolling the forest every day, inspecting property at the historical site, maintaining security and order and looking after the property of local residents and visitors to the temple.

He said the work is not too strenuous, but it requires carefulness and responsibility.

During more than 40 years on the job, despite rainy, sunny or chilly days, Sơn has never neglected his duties.

Except when he was too ill to get up, he would ask for help, but as soon as he felt a little better he would immediately return to work.

"Perhaps I have gotten used to this job over the years. I have to patrol and inspect several times every day before I feel at ease. When I was sick and could not go, I felt restless, like my hands and feet were tied," Sơn said.

Feeling like losing a loved one when a tree dies

The ancient forest of Và Temple. Photo hanoimoi.vn

In Sơn’s memory, the forest surrounding the temple in the past was much denser than it is today.

Over time, the forest has thinned, not because of illegal logging but because of the immutable law of nature: birth, growth, decay and death.

“Trees are just like people. They all have a limited lifespan. Even if some trees live for thousands of years, they are not immortal. At some point, trees must also end their life cycle, just like humans,” he said.

He remembered that the number of ancient trees in the temple’s forest was 187 when he first took the job in 1986.

Today, the number of trees is less than 100.

That means that in more than 40 years of working as a forest guardian in this area, Sơn has witnessed the departure of many ancient trees.

Each time, it is a sad memory that he does not want to talk about.

"Every time I see an ancient tree die, I feel a sense of loss, like losing a loved one," he said.

Sơn has suffered from respiratory obstruction for nearly ten years. Three years ago, he contracted shingles, which paralysed half of his face.

He has sought treatment in many places but doctors have told him to accept living with the disease for the rest of his life.

“Due to illness, I find it difficult to eat. I just drink milk and eat thin porridge with lean meat every day,” he said.

The illness has made him thin but has not discouraged him from continuing his work as a forest guard for more than 40 years.

Sơn said that a few years ago, he asked his son whether he wanted to take over the job, but his son refused.

“Young people have many other career choices and prefer lively, bustling places,” Sơn said.

“But I believe there will be someone suitable to replace me when my legs are no longer strong enough to patrol the forest.” — VNS