Foreign Experts Explore China’s "Green Heritage" in Huangling, Yan'an

Ten foreign experts from China Media Group visited the thousand-year-old cypress trees of Huangling County, Yan'an City, on October 14 to learn more about the "green heritage" of Chinese civilization.

Group Photo of Foreign

"I couldn't believe that a tree could live for thousands of years; I thought I must have misheard," one of the French experts from China Media Group said during her visit. According to the second national survey on ancient trees, all five of China’s trees over 5,000 years old are located in Shaanxi Province, three in Huangling County, which has established a special task force for the conservation of the venerable vegetation, a "One Tree, One Policy" Protection Plan, and an Implementation Plan for Key Ancient Tree Protection and Restoration Projects. "Besides regular maintenance and monitoring, we place great importance on understanding the natural growth patterns of these ancient trees and seeing they are not hindered from following them. We care for them and protect them but have to be careful that our affection does not hinder their freedom to grow," Associate Researcher at the Yellow Emperor Mausoleum Protection Management Service Center Li Xiaojun said.

The Laojun Cypress at Nanmen'gou Reservoir

There are currently over 727,000 ancient trees in Shaanxi, 11,000 of which are solitary and 271 groups. The province has developed policies and regulations to better protect these natural cultural treasures, such as the Regulations on the Protection of Ancient Trees and Notable Trees in Shaanxi Province, which seek to grade, classify, and manage comprehensively, systematically, and sustainably. Building on this foundation, Shaanxi is continuously improving its protection management system, exploring effective, scientific protective measures and innovating to preserve this precious green heritage for future generations.