2,700 year old tree blooms in Sichuan

A 2,700-year-old ormosia hosiei tree in the village of Houyan in the Yucheng district of Ya'an, Sichuan province is currently in full bloom, emitting a strong fragrance.

Local villagers said the ancient tree blooms every year, but only a few branches would bloom in previous years. It is quite rare to see the whole tree in full bloom like this year.

The tree is estimated by experts to be about 2,700 years old. It is 35 meters tall, with the circumference of its trunk measuring 8.3 meters and its canopy shading over 700 square meters, according to the Yucheng district's forestry bureau.

Officials from the forestry bureau said the ancient tree is the oldest of its kind in Sichuan and has been recognized as the "king of trees" by the provincial forestry department.

Peng Yong, Party branch secretary of Houyan village, said villagers show great respect for the tree as it embodies generations of people's memories of their hometown.

In the 1970s, when the village experienced a rare drought and many trees in the village died, the villagers carried water from the mountain foot miles away to irrigate the tree, so as to keep it alive, he said.

"Today, the ancient trees are better protected under a 'forest chief system' and each ancient tree has a designated caretaker," Peng said.

The villagers have installed lightning rods on the tree, set up fire escape channels around it, and patrol it daily to make sure it is free from pests and diseases, he added.