Spring has arrived, trees are bursting with new green leaves, and branches are swaying with fragrant blossoms. It's the season when trees come back to life. From the rows of locust and poplar trees lining the roads, to the ginkgo trees revered as living fossils – they may seem ordinary, but each likely has a rich story to tell. As China's 46th Tree Planting Day approaches, let's explore some of the trees of Beijing!
In 1987, the 6th Session of the 8th Beijing Municipal People's Congress passed a resolution designating the city's official tree and flower: the Chinese arborvitae, the pagodatree, and the rose. The stately Chinese arborvitae and the lush pagodatree stood out in the selection, as they are not only native and common trees of Beijing, but also represent the city's regal heritage and civic life.
The Chinese Arborvitae
The noble bearing and medicinal qualities of the arborvitae has been praised in ancient poems. As the cold winters reveal the evergreens' resilience, the arborvitae stands as a symbol of defiant perseverance in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Native to northern China, the Chinese arborvitae is a coniferous tree reaching up to 20 meters tall. Widely cultivated in Beijing, it is a common sight at famous mountains and ancient temples. Natural arborvitae forests can be found across many provinces, including Xinglong in Hebei, the Taihang Mountains in Shanxi, the Wei River valley north of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi, and the valleys along the Lancang River in Yunnan, growing at elevations between 250-3300 meters.
The Chinese arborvitae has a long history of cultivation in Beijing. Its timber can be used for construction and furniture making, while its branches, leaves and seeds have medicinal properties - promoting blood clotting, relieving rheumatism, acting as a diuretic, suppressing coughs and calming the mind. With its graceful form, it also serves as an ornamental garden tree. The arborvitaes flanking the east and west sides of Tiananmen Square in Zhongshan Park and the Working People's Cultural Palace are remnants of the former Imperial Ancestral Temple and Altar of Land and Grain, constructed strictly according to Zhou Li's mandate of "facing the court at the front and markets at the back, with ancestral shrines to the left and altars of soil and grain to the right." Strolling there today, one can still see arborvitae trees that have grown for centuries, exuding an aura of solemn grandeur. The Summer Palace's arborvitae trees, cultivated for imperial leisure, also lend a sense of reverence to these former recreational grounds.
The Pagodatree
The pagodatree is a deciduous tree that can reach up to 25 meters tall. Mainly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, it is native to China but now widely cultivated across all provinces. It is especially prevalent in North China and the Loess Plateau region. Due to its excellent shading capabilities and strong resistance to toxic gases like sulfur dioxide and chlorine, the pagodatree is commonly planted in Beijing's gardens and lined along city streets as a shade tree. Its timber can be used for construction and furniture making, while its seed pods, flower buds and blossoms have medicinal properties like cooling the blood, staunching bleeding, and improving liver and eye health.
The pagodatree has a long history of cultivation in China. Since the Han Dynasty, they have been extensively planted along the imperial capital's roads and postal routes. Many ancient pagodatrees still stand in Beijing today. The pagodatree is imbued with traits of nobility, grace, uprightness and magnanimity. The ancients believed it was formed from the condensation of cosmic energy. The Zhou Li records that three pagodatrees were planted outside the palace gates, representing the Three Dukes - attesting to the tree's exalted status in ancient times.
The "ancient pagodatree, wisteria vines, and quadrangle courtyard" was an iconic scene in old Beijing residences. The pale green pagodatree blossoms and dangling wisteria blooms adorned the hutong alleys with springtime colors, intoxicating passersby with their fragrance. Deeply rooted in the emotional memories of Beijing's people, the sight of a pagodatree evokes nostalgic images - children chasing each other down the narrow alleys, men sipping tea and playing chess under the shade, wafting scents of home-cooked meals from courtyard kitchens, and serene dreams accompanied by the pagodatree's floral aroma.
Translator: TANG Yuxin
Reviewer: JIANG Wenyi
