Too much of a good scent? Hanoi curbs iconic trees
Officials are considering relocating trees on the most crowded streets as many of Hanoi’s nearly 9 million residents say the fragrance is overpowering.
- On Tuesday, local authorities concluded a five-day pruning blitz, removing flowers from 7% of Hanoi's 14,400 blackboard trees after residents complained the scent was overpowering; officials plan to relocate trees from heavily concentrated areas.
- Nearly 9 million Vietnamese residents find the pungent scent overpowering, though public health concerns rarely rank among top priorities for residents despite widespread local newspaper coverage of the debate.
- Tran Cong Khanh, head of Vietnam's ethnomedicine research centre, stated "The smell is not toxic," though scientists recommend limiting concentrations in densely populated areas because pollen can trigger allergic reactions.
- Resident Nguyen Thu Trang, 37, expressed sadness at the pruning, saying "I feel deeply saddened seeing the city prune them," noting her family has lived on a tree-lined street for over 30 years.
- Known scientifically as Alstonia scholaris, blackboard trees have lined Hanoi's boulevards since French colonial rule in the late 19th century and remain symbols of autumn, inspiring local songs and poetry for decades.
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The authorities in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, decided to prune hundreds of schooling alstonias. The distinctive scent of these trees' flowers was too intense for some residents.
Too much of a good scent? Hanoi curbs iconic trees
By Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen HANOI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Vietnam's capital Hanoi has launched a large-scale programme to prune hundreds of its iconic blackboard trees and is considering relocating some after their distinctive fragrance proved too much f...
In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the relocation of blackboard trees, which have been the subject of complaints due to their strong odor, to other areas has been proposed. The trees, whose smell becomes even more pronounced in the autumn and which are among the city's cultural symbols, have already begun pruning work by the local government.
In Hanoi, blackwood trees, whose odor has been the subject of increasing complaints, may be relocated to another part of the city. The strong odor emitted by the more than 14,000 trees throughout the capital during their flowering period negatively affects the daily lives of those living nearby, in particular.
Hanoi has over 1,000 streets with various types of trees and their distribution varies according to the nature of the street and its cultural and historical significance – especially important for the inner city and historical inner city areas. Hanoi is trimming milkwood trees on many streets to reduce their strong fragrance. Hanoi's streets welcome the autumn breeze with the intoxicating scent of milkwood flowers. Hanoi is urgently reviewing an…
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