BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Beijing's greening authorities said Thursday that the 10 "most beautiful tree kings" have been elected in an effort to protect ancient trees across the city.

Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau said that 10 out of 69 tree candidates have received the titles. They were elected by citizens through the municipal government website, the website of the bureau and its WeChat account.

The bureau said the activity aimed to raise awareness of ancient tree protection.

One of the most beautiful ancient trees is a 3,500-year-old cypress, located in Xinchengzi Town in Miyun District. Eighteen meters tall and with 18 branches, the ancient cypress looks like a huge umbrella. It is the oldest tree in Beijing.

Beijing has made a series of measures to strengthen the protection and management of over 40,000 ancient trees in the city, including carrying out investigations, registration, classifications and filing, and increasing patrols over the city's trees.