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
     
    亚洲国产精品无码中文字 | 国产亚洲大尺度无码无码专线| 国产Av激情久久无码天堂| 精品久久久久久久中文字幕| 亚洲人成无码久久电影网站| 无码精品日韩中文字幕| 人妻少妇无码精品视频区 | 丰满少妇人妻无码| 寂寞少妇做spa按摩无码| 中文字幕亚洲精品| 亚洲中久无码不卡永久在线观看| 久久久久亚洲AV无码专区体验| 中文字幕丰满乱孑伦无码专区| 最近2019年中文字幕6| 被夫の上司に犯中文字幕| 岛国av无码免费无禁网| 久久久久久久亚洲Av无码| 亚洲人成无码网站在线观看 | 亚洲一区爱区精品无码| 色多多国产中文字幕在线| 在线天堂中文WWW官网| 亚洲精品无码成人片在线观看 | 无码人妻精品中文字幕| 精品无码成人片一区二区98| 亚洲欧美成人久久综合中文网 | 成人无码网WWW在线观看| 中文字幕一区二区精品区| www.中文字幕| 中文字幕本一道先锋影音| 日韩中文字幕电影| 中文字幕日韩在线| 最近完整中文字幕2019电影| 国产成人三级经典中文| 国产中文在线亚洲精品官网| 免费无码国产在线观国内自拍中文字幕 | V一区无码内射国产| 久久精品中文无码资源站| 亚洲综合无码一区二区| 国产亚洲精品无码拍拍拍色欲| 国产办公室秘书无码精品99| 97无码免费人妻超级碰碰夜夜|