Hanoi has planned to organize a tree-planting festival and step up forest protection and development in early 2023 to maintain tradition every spring and cope with global climate change.  

Accordingly, Hanoi has set to plant 400,000-450,000 new trees in the new year, 20-30 ha of forests, and keep about 6,500 ha of special-use and protective forests safe. In particular, the city expects to plant between 100,000 and 120,000 trees of all kinds in the first quarter of 2023.

Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Van Phong (rightmost) participates in the launching of the 2021 tree-planting festival in Soc Son District. Photo: Trong Tung/ The Hanoi Times

The tree-planting campaign will take place from January 27 (or the 6th day of the first Lunar month) to February 5 (the 15th day of the lunar month).

Places to launch the tree planting movement are historical and cultural relics, new urban areas, schools, hospitals, parks and roadsides.

The Hanoi People's Committee pointed out that the tree planting festival should be practical and effective, and conditions should be created for agencies, organizations, schools, armed forces, and people of all strata to actively participate in tree planting and afforestation.

The plan contributes to the effective implementation of the project "Plant a billion trees in the period 2021-2025", approved by the Prime Minister, to build a green, clean and beautiful capital city.

The tree-planting festival is a long-standing Vietnamese New Year tradition that helps boost green cover in a country that is among the hardest hit by climate change.

It was started in 1959 by President Ho Chi Minh, who attached importance to vegetation cover and maintained it for future generations, promoting afforestation and forest protection.

At the festival, people bring friends and family to share the joyous activity of planting trees and being outdoors with a view to contributing to climate change response and environmental protection, and natural disaster mitigation.