On March 12, Arbor Day, newly planted saplings have injected fresh vitality into Sichuan's forestry and grassland ecosystems, while a group of ancient and notable trees—some enduring for thousands of years—continue to safeguard local land and water as vital components of the ecological system. Living relics such as the Ya'an Ormosia tree, the Guang'an millennium ginkgo, the Ganzi high-altitude juniper, and the Guangyuan ancient persimmon tree are rooted across Sichuan, vividly embodying the concept of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Oldest Tree—

Ormosia Tree

Approximately 2,700 years old and standing 35 meters tall, this tree grows at an elevation of 970 meters. Located in Yanjia Mountain's Hongdou Xiangsi Valley scenic area, Houyan Village, Bifengxia Town, Yucheng District, Ya'an City, it is hailed as the "Millennium King of Ormosia Trees in Ya'an". The locality has developed an ancient tree park themed around the ormosia, integrating new rural development with historic village preservation. Without disturbing the native environment, stone-carved railings, footpaths, informational plaques, and rest facilities have been constructed, forming a multifunctional "Ya'an Ormosia" ancient tree park. This tree ranked first among the "Top Ten Tree Kings of Sichuan" and was selected as one of the seven most representative ancient trees nationwide for the 2023 Qixi Festival Ancient Tree Confession Campaign.

Most Popular Tree—

"Husband-and-Wife Ginkgo" Trees

Aged 1,506 years, these two trees stand 30.6 meters and 29 meters tall respectively and grow at an elevation of 804 meters. Situated in Hongyan Village, Hongyan Township, Huaying City, Guang'an, they have stood together for over 1,500 years and are affectionately called the "Husband-and-Wife Ginkgo" by villagers. They topped the list of Sichuan Province's "100 Most Outstanding Ancient and Notable Trees" in terms of public popularity. The female tree produces nearly 300 kilograms of fruit annually. Over 200,000 yuan has been invested locally to establish a small-scale park named "Millennium Husband-and-Wife Ginkgo Trees", featuring educational displays and interactive installations to promote integration of "conservation + tourism + science education".

Highest-Elevation Tree—

Juniper Tree

550 years old and 24 meters tall, this tree grows at an elevation of 4,131 meters. Located in Xionglongxi Township, Xinlong County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, it is the township's only Class-One ancient tree, naturally grown with a crown spread of 13 meters. Having witnessed climatic and environmental changes over more than five centuries, its extensive canopy and root system play a significant role in carbon sequestration, oxygen release, and soil conservation.

Sweetest Fruit—

Persimmon Tree

500 years old and 14 meters tall, this tree grows at an elevation of 862 meters. Niutou Village, ZhaoHua Town, ZhaoHua District, Guangyuan City, hosts the city's only persimmon-themed ancient tree park, which includes 89 officially registered ancient persimmon trees (three of which are Class-One) and five additional candidate trees. This ancient tree grove has received the title of "Most Beautiful Ancient Tree Grove", with its "King Persimmon Tree" still bearing abundant fruit to this day.

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】