Hanoi mulls replacing decades-old iconic trees

The Department of Construction has requested a study on Hanoi's African mahogany trees in order to devise a plan to cut down and replace them.

For now the department has proposed felling the trees that are rotten or hollowed out first. 

Eventually all African mahogany trees in the city should be replaced with new kinds of trees that suit the city better, the department has said.

Hanoi currently has over 4,000 decades-old African mahogany trees. Photo by VnExpress/Ba Do.

Most xa cu or African mahogany trees (Khaya senegalensis) in Hanoi were planted during the French colonial era, and the city has stopped plant