Old growth, new wealth

The veteran arborist has acquired much of his knowledge about trees and their cultural significance from grassroots people. "By listening to villagers' stories, I learn to protect these giants in harmony with local ecosystems," he said.

Several years ago, Jin visited Leijiagou village near the Shaolin Temple to undertake protection work on several ancient Quercus baronii (a type of oak) trees growing in the crevices of rocky slopes. A small stone temple from the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong period was beneath the trees.

A shepherd aged over 80 told Jin he remembered the trees from when he was a child. The current poor state of the trees was likely due to years of soil erosion near the roots, the shepherd said.

When a sheep approached one of the ancient trees, the herder quickly shooed it away, and said to Jin: "The old tree is sacred. I don't allow sheep near it, or to even graze on its fallen leaves."

Leijiagou is at the foot of Songshan Mountain, considered sacred by many, and is home to more than 10 ancient trees, including Quercus baronii, sala trees and big leaf poplars.

Since 2015, the village has pivoted from stone mining to ecological restoration and provided accommodations for visitors. It has constructed an ecological park for the Quercus baronii trees, expanded a small pond into Mirror Heart Lake, and upgraded old cave dwellings into boutique homestays. It is now a model picturesque village in Zhengzhou city and a national forest village.

"These trees are both our historians and main attraction," said Liu Xiaohui, 33, a Leijiagou Village Committee member, and owner of Songshan Windmill Farm.

The village's annual tourist numbers now exceed 100,000, drawn by the Shaolin Temple and nature's wonders. "The village history museum undergoing construction will highlight the trees' role in local historical heritage, and attract more visitors to explore the profound culture of Songshan Mountain," Liu said.

In January, staff from the Henan Provincial Forestry Bureau visited Leijiagou and took 3D digital images of the old trees to establish a pilot ancient tree cloud museum.

As a county-level city within Zhengzhou, Dengfeng has over 7,400 registered ancient trees.

In 2021, the local forestry bureau organized teams to visit rural towns. The teams produced a mini documentary series the Sacred Charm of Ancient Trees that had 52 episodes. Authorities have also staged exhibitions and painting activities to raise awareness about protection of ancient trees.