The ancient medicinal garden of Duoc Son is located in the special national relic site of Con Son - Kiep Bac (Chi Linh, Hai Duong) and contains many historical, cultural and medical values.
The restoration of this precious ancient medicinal garden has taken its first steps.
Great value
Since the 13th century, the Tran Dynasty has attached great importance to the use of traditional medicinal plants to care for people's health and treat soldiers' wounds. King Hung Dao was always concerned about building medicinal gardens to be proactive in treating diseases and injuries. Before the second resistance war against the Yuan-Mongol army (1285), he, his wife, Princess Thien Thanh, and General Pham Ngu Lao worked hard to grow many precious medicinal herbs on Nam Tao mountain, in Van Kiep fief (now Hung Dao commune, Chi Linh city). Therefore, this mountain also has another name, Duoc Son (medicine mountain).
During the Le Dynasty, the Duoc Son medicinal garden was still preserved and developed over 10 hectares with the name of Duoc Linh Co Vien. The medicinal garden was ranked among the ancient gardens of Chi Linh because it not only had many values but also had beautiful and charming scenery. The medicinal plants in Duoc Son were passed down by the people in the area. The medicinal profession in Kiep Bac also originated from here and has been passed down for many generations.
However, over time, the medicinal garden gradually faded away. Currently, households that have contracted forest land in the medicinal garden area have renovated it, planting timber and fruit trees. However, with special conditions and favorable natural conditions, many medicinal plants on Duoc Son mountain still thrive and develop.
According to research, Duoc Son mountain still has about 100 species of plants containing high medicinal properties, the most common of which are milkweed, passionflower, polygonum multiflorum, polygonum multiflorum, cogon grass, yellow trumpet vine, white gloves, crow's beak...
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuong, 69 years old, in Duoc Son village, Hung Dao commune (Chi Linh) recalls that when she was a child, she often went to Duoc Son mountain with the children in the village to play, and was taught by people who collected medicinal plants to distinguish many plants and folk remedies. Therefore, although she did not pursue a career in medicine, Ms. Tuong knows every type of medicinal plant on Duoc Son mountain and its uses.
She excitedly boasted: “Most of the elderly in the village know about medicinal plants. I still go up the mountain to get medicinal plants to treat itching and coughs for my grandchildren, although there are not as many plants as before. I am the head of Nam Dao temple, and I am present on Duoc Son mountain every day, so I feel very regretful that this place used to be a precious medicinal garden. I hope the medicinal garden will be restored soon.”
Urgent recovery
The restoration of Duoc Son medicinal garden not only has conservation significance but also opens up new development directions and opportunities in promoting the value of the special national relic site of Con Son - Kiep Bac, especially when this relic site is located in the complex proposed for UNESCO recognition as a world heritage site.
According to the Master Plan of Con Son - Kiep Bac relic site approved by the Prime Minister on June 18, 2010, Duoc Son medicinal garden is one of the items that must be restored. However, due to the priority of implementing more necessary projects and items, up to now, Duoc Linh ancient garden has not been restored.
In early January, the Provincial People's Committee issued a plan to develop traditional medicine services and products for tourists until 2030. In particular, the province requested to urgently restore the ancient medicinal garden of Duoc Son, focusing on researching and restoring precious medicinal plants typical of Hai Duong in general and the Duoc Son mountain area in particular.
According to Mr. Nguyen The Anh, Director of the Provincial Traditional Medicine Hospital, the restoration of the Duoc Son medicinal garden is very urgent. The Provincial Party Secretary Tran Duc Thang himself assigned the hospital to propose, research, and develop precious medicinal plants at the location of the old Duoc Son medicinal garden. The hospital also came up with the idea to promote the values of the old medicinal garden in the current context. The Duoc Son medicinal garden is restored in 3 areas. That is the conservation area to preserve the ancient and distinct medicinal gene source that still exists on Duoc Son mountain. The precious medicinal area preserves medicinal plants that are at risk of extinction. The medicinal plant growing area meets international standards to participate in the global medicinal supply chain. Only then can the combined values of history, culture, oriental medicine, tourism, economy, etc. of the Duoc Son medicinal garden be promoted. However, the restoration of the medicinal garden requires close coordination between the province's professional agencies to carry out the steps of surveying, evaluating, and establishing projects, etc.
Recently, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the scientific tasks for 2025. Among them, there is a scientific topic on surveying and researching to draw a map of medicinal plants in the province. The project management board will prioritize reviewing medicinal plants in the Duoc Son mountain area to serve the restoration of the ancient medicinal garden. Immediately after analyzing the current situation and organizing a scientific workshop, the authorities will develop a plan to assess the environmental impact, the impact on the population and propose a plan to restore the Duoc Son medicinal garden.
HOANG LINH - THANH CHUNG