In the heart of ancient Vietnam, twin brothers named Tân and Lang lived so alike that even their family found it hard to tell them apart. Their father, Cao, had once been honored by King Hùng with the family name "Cao," which means "high" or "elevated." After their parents passed away, Tân and Lang relied on each other, working tirelessly to create a simple yet fulfilling life. Their close bond caught the attention of a local girl from the Liêu family. To decide which brother she would marry, her father devised a clever test by serving only one pair of chopsticks at a meal. Lang, showing respect, invited Tân to eat first, revealing that Tân was the elder brother. The girl then married Tân.
Although Tân remained loving toward Lang, his marriage gradually drew him closer to his wife, causing Lang to feel isolated and forgotten. The once unbreakable bond between the brothers began to weaken. One day, after returning from the fields, Lang was mistaken by Tân’s wife for her husband. She rushed to greet him, and at that moment, Tân arrived and misunderstood what he saw. Feeling betrayed, Tân grew cold toward Lang. Heartbroken and lonely, Lang decided to leave home. He wandered far until he reached a large riverbank, where he sat down, wept endlessly, and eventually turned into a large stone by the water’s edge.
When Tân realized his brother was missing, he searched desperately until he found the stone by the river. Understanding what had happened, Tân was overcome with sorrow and guilt, and he cried until he transformed into a tall areca tree standing beside the stone. Days later, Tân’s wife, grieving over her missing husband, went looking for him. Finding only the stone and the tree, she wept until she became a creeping betel vine that wrapped tightly around the areca tree. Moved by this story of tragic love and loyalty, the villagers built a shrine at the site, naming it "The Shrine of Brotherly Love and Marital Devotion."
Years later, during a severe drought, the shrine and the surrounding plants remained lush and green. When King Hùng visited the region, he heard the story and ordered his men to harvest the areca nuts, betel leaves, and lime from the stone. Upon chewing these together, the mixture produced a striking red color and a warm, spicy fragrance. Amazed, the king encouraged people across the land to plant areca trees and betel vines, sparking the Vietnamese tradition of chewing betel and areca. This custom symbolizes loyalty, love, and unity, especially during weddings and important ceremonies.
Even today, betel and areca hold a special place in Vietnamese culture. A beautifully wrapped betel quid, shaped like a phoenix’s wings, remains an essential element in traditional wedding ceremonies. The legend of betel leaves and areca nuts goes beyond folklore; it reflects deeply held values of loyalty, brotherhood, and devotion that continue to shape Vietnamese life and spirit across generations.
This story reminds us of the enduring power of family bonds, the pain of misunderstanding, and the beauty of devotion that transcends even the boundaries of life and death.