Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
    China
    Home / China / Society

    300-year-old dying tree in China gets second chance at life

    Xinhua | Updated: 2025-04-19 17:53
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Wu Lei (front), a specialist in ancient tree conservation, seals exposed cuts of an ancient tree with a wound-healing paste in Xinyuan village of Hengshan county, Hengyang city, Central China's Hunan province, March 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    CHANGSHA -- A camphor tree in Xinyuan village of Hengshan county, Central China's Hunan province, stood strong for three centuries before it began to falter in recent years.

    When Wu Lei, a specialist in ancient tree conservation, arrived in the village, he had a surgical plan and hoped that the giant tree could be returned to its prime.

    After cordoning off the area around the tree, Wu and another worker ascended into its canopy on a crane. There, they trimmed dead and dying branches with a chainsaw and carefully sealed exposed cuts with a wound-healing paste.

    Beneath them, other workers drilled through the surrounding concrete and injected nutrients 3 meters deep into the ground every half hour to reach the tree's struggling roots.

    A handful of village locals gathered quietly in a nearby courtyard to watch the tree surgery unfold.

    The tree's decline began in 2021, when the construction of a nearby flood-control embankment compacted much of its root system, straining its ability to absorb water and nutrients.

    "We see classic symptoms of crown dieback like yellow leaves, early leaf loss and bare skeletal branches," said Wu, deputy director of the ancient tree conservation and research center at the Central South University of Forestry and Technology.

    Without treatment, the camphor tree would likely have died within two to three years, said Deng Shicheng, head of the landscaping team assisting with the restoration efforts.

    "To heal an ancient tree, you have to begin with how it 'feels,'" Wu said. "Just like people, trees can suffer from overtreatment or mistreatment."

    The restoration was initiated by the county's forestry bureau in March and underwent a full review before approval.

    Ancient trees can decline due to both human activity and natural causes, such as lightning strikes or insect infestations. Each year, forestry departments across Hunan assess the health of registered ancient trees. Simpler treatment plans are handled locally, while complex or severe cases are referred to provincial experts like Wu.

    Hunan is home to around 240,000 registered ancient or notable trees. As of last year, the province had rescued nearly 4,000 endangered trees and revitalized another 30,000 in decline.

    This year, officials aim to digitize the records of each tree and organize 200 public education events to raise awareness and encourage broader participation, according to Ou Riming, an official of the provincial forestry department.

    Hunan's efforts are part of a national campaign to protect ancient and notable trees. The former are defined as those that are over 100 years old, and the latter as those with historical, cultural or ecological importance.

    In Beijing, experts conduct regular checkups of the ancient trees lining the city's UNESCO-listed Central Axis. In Chengdu, southwest China, a team of tree doctors formed in 2014 has assessed thousands of ancient trees citywide.

    In January, China introduced its first national-level regulations to protect ancient and notable trees, aligning with the country's broader goals of building an ecological civilization and preserving cultural identity.

    A national survey conducted from 2015 to 2021 identified 5.08 million ancient or notable trees across China.

    The full rehabilitation of the camphor tree in Hunan is expected to take about a year and cost 30,000 yuan (about $4,163).

    The team will continue providing follow-up care, including fertilization and pruning, while training locals in long-term maintenance.

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
     
    久久午夜无码鲁丝片秋霞| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区BBBBXXXX | 精品无码国产自产在线观看水浒传 | 无码中文av有码中文a| 亚洲中文字幕伊人久久无码| 成人无码区免费A∨直播| 国产乱子伦精品无码码专区| 国产aⅴ无码专区亚洲av| 成人午夜福利免费无码视频| 久久精品无码专区免费 | 亚洲AV无码一区二三区| 亚洲日韩VA无码中文字幕| 中文亚洲AV片在线观看不卡 | 中文字幕色AV一区二区三区| 日韩精品久久无码中文字幕| 最近2019免费中文字幕6| 少妇性饥渴无码A区免费 | 超清中文乱码字幕在线观看 | 最近中文字幕高清免费中文字幕mv | 无码毛片一区二区三区中文字幕| 日韩久久久久中文字幕人妻| 高清无码v视频日本www| 婷婷四虎东京热无码群交双飞视频 | 亚洲精品成人无码中文毛片不卡| 精品人妻va出轨中文字幕 | 中文字幕精品无码一区二区| 亚洲gv猛男gv无码男同短文| 国产乱子伦精品无码专区| 亚洲乱码中文字幕综合| 免费无码又爽又刺激一高潮| 人妻无码久久一区二区三区免费| 亚洲AV无码专区日韩| 亚洲国产精品狼友中文久久久| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区免费| 亚洲人成无码久久电影网站| 中文国产成人精品久久亚洲精品AⅤ无码精品 | 国产精品无码av在线播放| 高清无码中文字幕在线观看视频| 自拍中文精品无码| 成人无码精品1区2区3区免费看| 熟妇人妻不卡中文字幕|