A rare pine tree, listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book, has been on sale recently in the northern province of Lao Cai.
The tree grows at a height of more than 2,000 metres on Hoang Lien Son Mountain.
On January 20, the forest management service in Lao Cai Province seized a branch of the tree, called Thiet Van Sam, which was selling for VND300,000 (USD14.3) on the 4D National Highway. Caught red-handed, the seller fled into the forest.
Dtinews reporters also found a young local boy selling the same type of branch along the highway for VND150,000 (USD7.2). He said his farther had to go into the forest and climb to the high mountain to cut down it.
