“The tree is in our hometown. Though aged, it still pours its strength into gifting the Nguyen Phan family a season of sweet, bountiful fruit, a loving reminder of our origins and hometown memories,” wrote Dung, 52, who born and grew up in Da Nang, but now lives in HCM City.

He posted photos of the “giant” lychee tree covering a corner of the yard on the internet, which garnered a lot of attention.

The small house in Hoa Nhon, Hoa Vang district, in Da Nang, where Dung’s parents live, is home to the tree planted by his great-grandfather. It remains lush, shading the entire yard.

Each year, the tree yields abundant fruit with a sweet, refreshing taste that “lingers with every bite” Dung said.

“My great-grandfather, born in 1855, would be 170 if alive today. He planted the tree in his youth.”

Years ago, a big storm broke one of its large branches but it survived. Dung’s parents’ house has been renovated multiple times, but the lychee tree remains untouched.

“When I was born, the tree was already there, shading us. My childhood was tied to it—climbing it with friends to catch cicadas, having meals with family members under its shade, and joining meetings with relatives and picking lychees together,” he wrote.

“Even my kids love this tree,” Dung shared.

Of his parents’ eight children, six now live and work in HCM City and two in Da Nang. On special occasions, the family gathers at the parents’ house, and the tree is where everyone comes together.

During lychee season, Dung returns to his hometown to pick fruit with his parents, then brings it from Da Nang to HCM City to share with relatives and friends. He recalls a touching moment when a friend, far from home, received his gift of red lychees, placed them on an ancestral altar, and cried, overwhelmed by homesickness.

“There was a time when the tree’s fruit was inconsistent: some years abundant, others none. But recently, it’s been bearing fruit steadily,” Dung said.

This year, the tree has produced an unusually large harvest. To Dung, it’s a silent message to those far from home: “This summer, don’t forget to come back.”

“Each lychee season, the red fruit hangs heavy like a mother’s open arms waiting for her children. Time changes many things, but the tree remains, a quiet witness preserving the soul of home,” Dung shared.

Hoai Thanh