A Bond of Brotherhood and a Marriage Proposal
After their parents passed away, Tân and Lang leaned on each other for support, working hard to build a simple but fulfilling life. Their strong bond caught the attention of a local girl from the Liêu family. To choose between the two, her father devised a clever test: he served only one pair of chopsticks during a meal. Lang, out of respect, invited Tân to eat first, revealing that Tân was the elder. The girl then married Tân.
Although Tân remained loving toward Lang, marriage gradually pulled him closer to his wife, leaving Lang feeling isolated and forgotten. The once-unbreakable bond between the brothers began to weaken.
A Tragic Misunderstanding
One day, after returning home from the fields, Lang was mistaken by Tân’s wife for her husband. She rushed to greet him, and at that very moment, Tân arrived and misinterpreted 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. Exhausted and grief-stricken, Lang sat down, wept endlessly, and eventually turned into a large stone by the water’s edge.
Reunion in a Different Form
When Tân realized his brother was missing, he frantically searched for him. Upon discovering the stone at the river, Tân understood what had happened. Overcome with sorrow and guilt, Tân cried until he transformed into a tall areca tree standing beside the stone.
Days passed, and Tân’s wife, heartbroken over her missing husband, went searching. Finding only the stone and the tree by the river, she too wept until she became a creeping betel vine that tightly embraced the areca tree.
Touched by this tragic love and loyalty, the villagers built a shrine at the site, calling it "The Shrine of Brotherly Love and Marital Devotion."
The Birth of the Betel-Chewing Tradition
Years later, during a severe drought, the shrine and the plants around it remained lush and green. When King Hùng visited the region, he learned of the story and ordered his men to harvest the areca nuts, betel leaves, and lime from the stone.
Upon chewing them 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, leading to the Vietnamese tradition of chewing betel and areca—a custom that symbolizes loyalty, love, and unity, especially during weddings and important ceremonies.
Betel Leaves and Areca Nuts: A Symbol of Eternal Bonds
Even today, betel and areca hold a special place in Vietnamese culture. A beautifully wrapped betel quid, shaped like a phoenix's wings, remains a must-have in traditional wedding ceremonies.
The Legend of Betel Leaves and Areca Nuts is more than just a folktale; it is a profound reflection on the values of loyalty, brotherhood, and devotion that continue to define Vietnamese life and spirit across generations.