At the foot of Zhongnan Mountain in the Chinese city of Xian, the ancient Guanyin Chan Temple is home to a ginkgo tree with a history spanning over 1,400 years.
As autumn approaches each year, this ancient ginkgo tree bursts into a spectacular golden display.
The tree is said to have been planted by Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang dynasty (618-907) during a visit to the temple.
According to a new study, temples across China – both Buddhist and Taoist – have safeguarded tens of thousands of ancient trees, serving as an ark for at least 2,000 years, a phenomenon not observed elsewhere in landscapes heavily transformed by humans.
The research by Chinese and Australian scientists was published in the journal Current Biology on June 4.
In China, trees over 100 years old are classified as “ancient trees”, with a total of 5.08 million registered nationwide.
