Can Gio – The whisper of the mangrove forest

Unique initiatives deep in the forest

Fifty years after the country’s reunification, the Sac Forest Zone and the special forces of Regiment 10 have become legendary. One of their most remarkable feats was the attack on the Nha Be fuel depot, which held 72 fuel tanks - nearly half of them with a capacity of over 10 million liters of gasoline. The resounding victory saw the depot burn for more than 12 days and nights, causing the U.S. imperialists an estimated loss of around 12 million USD.

Not only achieving remarkable feats, our soldiers also learned to adapt to the harsh environment, surrounded entirely by swamps and saltwater. One innovative solution was turning saltwater into freshwater for use.

According to documents at the Sac Forest Zone relic site and the account of Mr. Luu Tan Kiet from Ly Hoa Hiep hamlet, former Ly Nhon commune (now An Thoi Dong commune) - a soldier operating semi-covertly, bringing supplies in and out of the Sac Forest Zone, the living conditions in the zone were extremely harsh. One of the challenges that had to be overcome was the shortage of freshwater.

“The entire Sac Forest is a mangrove forest, with no freshwater year-round, especially during the dry season. Officers and soldiers had to row boats at night, weaving to avoid enemy saboteurs and aircraft, to reach strategic hamlets and transport each can of well water. Later, the enemy discovered this routine and set up ambushes around wells and ponds. Many soldiers shed blood just to secure a container of freshwater.

Then, an innovative solution was devised: distilling brackish water to produce freshwater, similar to distilling alcohol. River water was poured into a pot above a condensation pan and heated to a boil; the steam would rise, condense on the pan, and be directed through a channel into a storage container. In this way, brackish water was distilled into drinking water for daily use. This innovation partially solved the soldiers’ freshwater needs.”

“Because enemy aircraft continuously patrolled and saboteurs searched day and night, the water distillation process had to be conducted in complete secrecy, without producing visible smoke, and always under distant and elevated guard,” Mr. Kiet recalled.

In addition to boiling pots, the special forces also devised a method to collect and store rainwater by joining the trunks of date palms, lining the interior with plastic or fabric, and using raincoats, then attaching leaf-wrapped branches from the trunk to create channels to funnel water, which were scattered throughout the base. This method provided sufficient freshwater during the rainy season and ensured supply in case of enemy raids.

This area held a strategic position for advancing into Saigon, making it an ideal location for establishing a long-term combat base for the naval special forces. Regiment 10 of the special forces was stationed here with the mission of sinking enemy ships, cutting off supply routes into central Saigon, and sabotaging enemy depots and key wharves surrounding the city.

Major General Tran Thanh Lap, former Political Commissar of Regiment 10 Special Forces, recounted: Amid the vast waterways and mangrove forests, building camps required careful planning to ensure both safety and operational efficiency. The officers and soldiers took turns cutting trees to assemble platforms for eating and sleeping.

In muddy areas, they came up with the idea of placing several mangrove trunks on the ground to reduce sinking, then selecting trees with multiple branches to serve as support above. In this way, the unit quickly completed their “main headquarters” along with sturdy watch huts, ensuring safety and readiness for combat.

The Sac Forest Zone held a strategically important position, with dense forests and a network of rivers and canals - an advantage for our troops to ambush the enemy. However, the Sac Forest was once known as the “sacred forest with deadly waters,” where our soldiers not only fought the enemy but also had to contend with wild animals and giant crocodiles.

A miraculous revival

The Can Gio forest rangers’ motorboat pulled up at Subzone 3 of the Can Gio Protective Forest Management Board. At midday in July, the sun blazed down. Through the forest canopy, occasional rays of sunlight pierced the leaves, striking my bare head - standing still for even a moment felt scorching. Yet, simply stepping out of the sun brought instant coolness and comfort. It was then I truly understood the forest’s importance and realized that our predecessors had accomplished something astonishing: restoring the forest in record time.

Few could imagine that this place was once a dead, barren land, devoid of life. “In the past, passing through here meant wading through endless mud and burned tree stumps. No one thought the Can Gio forest could be restored so quickly,” recalled Mr. Tran Van Duoc, a veteran from Tam Thon Hiep commune.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Cuong, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department and at the time Deputy Director of the Duyen Hai Forestry Enterprise - the unit leading the reforestation effort, recounted: “Throughout history, Vietnam has accomplished feats that have astonished and impressed the world. The Can Gio forest is one example. I remember that after we completed the reforestation, an American ecologist came to Can Gio, wide-eyed with surprise, because he had previously insisted that it would take 100 years to restore the forest to its original state. Yet we did it in just 10 years.”

To provide more than 10 million residents of Ho Chi Minh City with the “green lungs” of over 34,000 hectares as we see today, tens of thousands of people waded through water and knee-deep mud day and night for more than a decade.

“According to the plan, about 4,000 hectares of forest had to be planted each year, equivalent to 1,500 tons of seeds. The seeds had to be brought all the way from the nurseries in Minh Hai. The biggest challenge was transportation: it took half a month by boat from Minh Hai to the city, and in the early trips many seeds were damaged, the bags at the bottom of the boat got too hot and the seeds ripened. Later, I learned not to transport too much at once, which reduced spoilage and allowed the boats to move faster. Between the five nurseries in Minh Hai and the 34,000 hectares of forest in Can Gio, my footprints are everywhere,” Mr. Cuong recalled.

Besides Mr. Cuong, many local households volunteered to care for and protect the forest after planting, including the family of Mrs. Tu Hong (now retired, with her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Tung, continuing the work), Mrs. Ba Hoang, Mr. Tam, Mr. Thu, Mr. Tuan, Mr. Phien, and Mrs. Tu Truong. They have dedicated their lives to the Can Gio forest.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Loan, responsible for guarding 80 hectares of forest in Subzone 1 originally assigned to her father in 1992, shared: “Our monthly income from forest protection is just over 6 million VND (approximately USD 227). Life is still difficult, but we’ve grown used to living in the forest. Just one day on the mainland and I already miss the forest, especially the quiet, away from the bustle and noise of the city.” Currently, Ms. Loan also earns additional income by organizing eco-tourism for visitors and collecting snails at night.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, born in 1975 and Head of Subzone 1 with nearly 30 years of experience guarding the Can Gio forest, shared that the life of forest rangers remains modest but has improved greatly compared to the past. Then he blurted out, “I actually once submitted a resignation.” Pausing for a moment, he explained:

“In 2003, my wife went into labor while I wasn’t home, and I had to ask a friend to take her to the hospital. Since it was our first child, I felt guilty seeing my wife struggle alone, so I wrote a resignation letter. When I submitted it, the superiors told me I could take a one-month unpaid leave to care for my wife and reconsider afterward. They even gave me an advance so I could support her. I was touched by their kindness and couldn’t go through with leaving, so after my leave ended, I returned to the forest.”

At the scientific workshop “45 Years of Restoration and Protection of the Can Gio Mangrove Ecosystem” held in August 2023, when archival photos of the Can Gio mangroves during and after the war were shown, many attendees exclaimed, “It’s hard to believe,” seeing images of the pre-restoration landscape with blackened tree stumps scattered across vast mudflats like a deadly trap. Then the figures appeared: tens of tons of bombs and millions of liters of defoliants had been dumped, causing the near-total disappearance of the natural mangrove forest.

Next came the most recent photos, revealing an endless expanse of lush green. “Just looking at these photos makes you feel so happy,” one participant exclaimed.

Enhancing the value of the “Green lungs”

In a conversation with Dr. Huynh Duc Hoan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Protective and Special-Use Forest Management Board, he shared that the Board is collaborating with UNESCO Hanoi to implement the project “Our ocean conservation: Building healthy relationships with the ocean through education for sustainable development in Vietnam.”

The project’s overall goal is to help children and adolescents  - future leaders - develop into champions of sustainable development by fostering healthy relationships with the ocean, grounded in ocean knowledge and education for sustainable development.

“When asked about the role of local people and communities in forest protection,” I inquired, “what is their contribution?” Dr. Hoan replied: “Over the past 47 years, the entire political system, from the city level down to the grassroots, together with the efforts of the Can Gio Protective Forest Management Board, has progressively strengthened community awareness campaigns for protecting the mangrove ecosystem, achieving greater depth and effectiveness.

Local residents’ awareness of mangrove conservation, environmental protection, and biodiversity preservation has steadily improved, playing a significant role in reducing forest law violations. Before 2000, there were hundreds of violations each year, but between 2019 and 2024, this number dropped to just 5–6 cases annually. In many instances, the community has actively assisted by providing information that helps forest rangers detect and prevent violations in time.”

“What livelihoods does the Can Gio forest provide for local residents?” I asked next. Dr. Hoan replied “Certainly. The Can Gio forest produces a large amount of detritus from fallen leaves and other plant parts, which are decomposed by microorganisms. This serves as an important food source for many aquatic species. Moreover, the forest’s intricate root system helps retain sediment, creating a suitable habitat for many benthic animals.

Mangroves provide organic matter, nurture, and serve as long-term habitats for many valuable aquatic species such as fish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, and clams. They are also the primary nursery for shrimp and fish larvae, supplying the main breeding stock for traditional aquaculture.

In addition, mangroves along estuaries and coastal areas serve as spawning grounds for aquatic species, playing a crucial role in restoring and maintaining the balance of local fishery resources. The Can Gio mangroves generate abundant aquatic resources, significantly contributing to employment and stabilizing incomes for residents of Can Gio and neighboring provinces through fishing activities.

With its beautiful scenery, clean air, and convenient transportation, the Can Gio mangrove forest has become an attractive destination for visitors seeking eco-tourism experiences. The number of tourists visiting Can Gio and its mangroves has steadily increased, contributing to job creation, improving incomes for forest workers, and boosting local revenue. Since 2018, an average of about 100,000 visitors per year have come to explore the Can Gio mangroves."

According to Dr. Hoan, the entire Can Gio forest has now been allocated to 120 households with permanent local residency. The forest protection allocation policy has ensured stable income and livelihoods for those responsible for safeguarding the forest. Depending on the natural conditions of their allocated areas, households organize supplementary production through common activities such as oyster farming, cage fish farming, snail collection, and net fishing, generating additional income, stabilizing their lives, and allowing them to remain committed to protecting the forest.

“According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vien Ngoc Nam, the carbon stored and absorbed by the soil in the Can Gio forest ranges from 5 to 10 tons of CO₂/ha/ year. With a total forested area of over 32,000 hectares, this forest can absorb more than 227,000 tons of CO₂ annually, making a significant contribution to the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Huynh Duc Hoan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Protective and Special-Use Forest Management Board.