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West China

Local government rescues 406-yr-old tree in south China

2021-03-15 09:33:41

NANNING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- After five years of hard work, the local government has revived a 406-year-old dying tree in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The 22-meter-high almond tree showed visible signs of dying in 2016 as its leaves started turning yellow and withered. So said to the local forestry department in Nanning.

"Experts found that the tree's water supply was cut off by a newly built road then," said Lu Qian with the Nanning City Greening Project Management Center.

Rescue workers tried various measures to save the tree, such as setting up hoses next to it and watering it twice a week during the drought season.

In 2018, the ancient tree bore fruit for the first time since it showed signs of dying.

However, two major branches of the tree were blown off by a storm last year, which drew public attention in Nanning and became a trending topic on China's social media platform Weibo.

Experts have covered the ancient tree with black gauze to protect it from strong winds. Plant growth regulators have also been used to promote new twigs sprouting.

With encouraging changes in the tree's cambium, it is now recovering, according to Lu.

"This ancient tree has accompanied us for generations. We must protect it," said Lu. Enditem

Editor:Jiang Yiwei