In 1800, what kind of traces will a legendary 1800-year history leave on a tree?
During the interview, the reporter was repeatedly moved by the magic of this ancient tree: After thousands of years of wind and rain, it has survived the catastrophe. Today, this "sacred tree" is still protecting the people - Sun Quan's mother planted this tree?
There is a story about the origin of this tree.
According to local folklore, Sun Zhong, the grandfather of Sun Quan, the leader of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period, once lived here and made a living by growing melons.
After Sun Quan ascended the throne, his mother went to the place where Sun Zhong planted melons and planted this ginkgo tree.
There is also an ancient well nearby, called "Sun Zhongjing".
Shi Migong, the county magistrate of the Song Dynasty, once wrote a poem titled "Inscribed on Sun Zhongjing when passing through the Shangfang Temple": "Sun Zhong was originally a melon garden, and when guests came to taste the melons, they fixed their place; in response to orders, he descended from the sky, and people still point to the place where the melons are planted." This explains the local legend.
It's not nonsense.
Based on this calculation, this ginkgo is already over 1,800 years old, the same age as the founding of Nanjing as the capital.
Professor Tang Gengguo of Nanjing Forestry University told reporters that there is currently a lack of effective verification methods for the true age of ancient trees.
The introduction of folklore into the survey of ancient and valuable trees is a "first-of-its-kind" initiative in the survey of ancient and valuable trees.
According to relevant departments, during the investigation of ancient and valuable trees, the most difficult thing is to determine the age of the ancient trees.
The most accurate way to determine the age of a tree is to dig a small hole in the tree and look at the growth rings.
However, this was ultimately rejected as the purpose of the survey was to protect the trees.
In order to estimate the age, experts first estimate it by comparing it with other trees, and others determine it through the records of local people, especially oral legends.
Now it has become a "sacred tree" for blessing. In the eyes of local people, King Ginkgo has become a "sacred" tree and a blessing tree for people.
In front of the trunk of the Ginkgo King, the reporter found a cement stand with a small incense burner on it, which contained a lot of incense ash and candle oil.
Many red and green ribbons were tied on the branches of the Ginkgo King and the two descendant trees.
"These are all left by people who came to worship the tree, burn incense and pray." Tu Bailin told reporters that local villagers have special feelings for this thousand-year-old tree.
The villagers feel that this tree is very spiritual and can bring blessings and good luck to everyone.
Every year on the 19th day of February, June, and September of the lunar calendar, many villagers come to worship the "sacred tree" and pray to the Ginkgo King to bring good luck to everyone with abundant harvests and prosperity for humans and animals.
In addition, when a child is sick or a baby is born, people come to burn incense and worship the tree, hoping to keep the child safe.
Incense nearly killed the "sacred tree". The vicissitudes of 1,800 years have carved deep marks on this ginkgo tree.
Through local county records, the reporter learned that in history, this king ginkgo tree was struck by lightning many times, and each time it was unharmed.
The most thrilling one was undoubtedly in 1998.
Tu Bailin told reporters that the King Ginkgo tree suffered an almost irreversible blow at that time.
It was February 1998. A woman came from Jiangning to burn incense and worship the tree. Because the incense burner was too close to the big tree and the wind was very strong that day, after the woman left, the incense burned in the hole of the tree, and a raging fire broke out.
More than ten meters high.
After the fire, half of the tree's trunk was burned.
At that time, everyone thought that the King Ginkgo tree was doomed. Unexpectedly, it sprouted new buds again the next year, and it grew better and better year after year.
Still, the damage the fire left on the tree was obvious.
Experts told reporters that the original diameter of the Ginkgo King was 6.28 meters, which two or three people could not hold; now it is almost half less.
Today, the burned half is still placed nearby as a reminder of fire.
Shi Qiu also discovered a thousand-year-old tree. It is understood that in the early 1980s and the late 1990s, the city gardening department conducted two surveys of ancient and valuable trees in the main urban area and suburbs.
With the approval of the municipal government, more than a thousand trees were identified as the first batch of ancient and valuable trees in Nanjing and the second batch of ancient and valuable trees; in 2003, the third batch of urban ancient and valuable trees in Nanjing was confirmed, adding another 170 trees
.
Experts told reporters that the first three screenings were mostly conducted in urban areas of Nanjing, but starting from the fourth batch, the focus has been on Nanjing's suburban counties.
Experts told reporters that after screening, 40 ancient and famous trees have been selected as the fourth batch of urban ancient and famous trees in Nanjing, including 11 in Gulou District, 2 in Xuanwu District, 1 in Qinhuai District, 2 in Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and Qixia Mountain Park.
5 plants, 4 plants in Mochou Lake Park, 1 plant in Qingliangshan Park, 4 plants in Lovers Garden, and 10 plants in Lishui.
Two ancient and valuable trees identified in this survey are over a thousand years old, and three are over three hundred years old.
In addition to this ginkgo, Shiqiu, Lishui, also discovered a thousand-year-old tree.
In Mingjue Village, Shiqiu Town, Lishui County, a juniper tree is said to be 1,000 years old.
Although this juniper tree located in the west of the village has experienced wind and rain, it has not changed its color year after year.