Ho Chi Minh City expands ‘Great Unity Garden’ model to promote green living

The event was jointly organized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) of Ho Chi Minh City at Lang Le Cultural Park in Binh Loi Commune.

It was intended to harness the strength of national unity in planting, caring for, and protecting trees, while raising public awareness and responsibility for environmental protection and supporting the development of a green and sustainable Ho Chi Minh City.

Part of the broader roll-out of the ‘Great Unity Garden’ model previously launched by the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, the initiative also forms part of activities marking the 115th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s departure to seek a path for national salvation and the 50th anniversary of the renaming of Saigon-Gia Dinh City in his honor.

Attending the ceremony were Nguyen Phuoc Loc, deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and chairman of the VFF Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; Nguyen Van Dung, deputy chairman of the municipal People’s Council; Bui Minh Thanh, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee; and other officials.

Also in attendance were the Most Venerable Thich Le Trang, vice-chairman of the Executive Council of the VBS and head of the Executive Board of the VBS of Ho Chi Minh City, along with other delegates.

Speaking at the event, deputy secretary Loc praised the coordination among relevant agencies and the VBS of Ho Chi Minh City in developing the ‘Great Unity Garden’ model, noting its contribution to environmental protection and the expansion of urban green space.

He said the first Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress set a target of planting 10 million trees, with the VFF Committee of Ho Chi Minh City assigned to plant one million trees, implemented through the ‘Great Unity Garden’ initiative.

He added that the garden is named ‘Great Unity’ because they bring together all social groups and member organizations of the great national unity bloc to participate in planting and caring for trees, thereby helping to realize President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that ‘for the benefit of ten years, plant trees; for the benefit of a hundred years, cultivate people.’

So far, the city has developed six ‘Great Unity Gardens,’ with the VBS of Ho Chi Minh City participating in two of them.

He called on the city government and relevant departments to strengthen oversight of urban greening and environmental protection, and urged the political system across 168 communes, wards, and special zones to facilitate participation by mass organizations and residents in meeting the city’s green development targets.

He also urged residents to continue spreading awareness and inspiration for environmental protection, driven by the strength of the people and national unity.

The Most Venerable Thich Le Trang said a green environment and a beautiful city are essential for improving living standards, stressing that each individual should be more conscious of environmental protection and spread that spirit within the community.

He suggested reducing unnecessary celebrations and instead allocating resources to environmentally meaningful activities.

At the event, about 600 ‘giang huong’ (narra padauk) trees were planted across roughly two hectares in Zone B of Lang Le Cultural Park.

Organizers also awarded 20 scholarships to disadvantaged students and visited households in especially difficult circumstances in Binh Loi Commune to present gifts to them.