BEIJING'S ANCIENT TREES OFFER LASTING LESSONS FROM THE PAST

When Zhang Qingzi brought her 9-year-old daughter to Beijing's Beihai Park during the National Day holiday, she was merely looking to spend a day together outdoors. However, they found themselves standing beneath an ancient pine tree and talking about an emperor who lived more than two centuries ago.

Nearly 11 meters tall, the tree also spreads its branches across 11 meters from north to south, while its trunk measures 1.1 meters in diameter at chest height. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rested in its shade during one summer visit and gave the pine the honorary title "Zheyin Hou", meaning shade-giving marquis.

For Zhang and her daughter, history suddenly seemed less distant. "Trees in textbooks can feel abstract. Seeing an ancient tree in person, with the information presented so clearly, makes learning fun," she said.

Their visit was part of a new way of exploring the Chinese capital — one that puts some of Beijing's "oldest residents" at the center of the journey.

On Sept 23, the city launched a program called "I See Ancient Trees in Beijing", featuring 10 routes through parks, historic sites and neighborhoods with food, shopping and cultural experiences. The objective is to offer a slower way of exploring a city better known for its fast pace of life.

According to the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau, the city boasts more than 42,000 trees that are over 100 years old. The oldest tree is a cypress in Xinchengzi town of Miyun district. It is called "Jiulou Shibacha", which translates as "nine hugs and 18 branches". It describes a trunk so big that it takes nine people to encircle it and a canopy so thick that it splits into 18 major limbs. The tree is estimated to be 3,500 years old.

"Beijing is a city with many ancient trees," said Cang Er, the program's content and visual planner. "For residents and visitors, it is like walking through a huge exhibition of ancient trees."

The routes, which wind their way from downtown to the suburbs, can be covered on a bicycle, in a car or on foot. Along the way are historic sites, local food, shopping districts and other cultural and recreational attractions. The program's digital features help participants share what they discover during their journeys.

At the Wuta Temple, which is home to the Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum, the leaves of two Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) ginkgo trees are beginning to turn yellow.

"In another week or two, there will be visitors everywhere taking photos of these old ginkgo trees, and the ground will be covered with golden leaves," said Su Tao, a volunteer guide who has worked at the museum since 2017.

Su has watched the once little-known museum become a crowd magnet, with its ancient trees becoming an attraction in their own right. "A museum preserves history behind glass. An ancient tree carries history in its trunk, branches and roots," he said.

At Ditan Park, three ancient cypress trees have earned the sobriquet "Three Generals", and they offer a glimpse into how trees can acquire personalities in the imagination of a city.

All three are classified as first-grade ancient trees. The "Old General", with a trunk circumference of 4.8 meters, has the appearance of a seasoned soldier who has withstood the test of time. The "Great General", with a girth of 5.15 meters, rises tall and lush. And the "One-Armed General", with a trunk circumference of 3.16 meters, has survived the vagaries of nature and has only one major branch remaining.

Beside the "One-Armed General", one of Cang's short reflections — part of a series called Lessons From Trees — reads: "A tree allows its scars to exist. You don't have to be a perfect example."

The program, Cang said, is not simply about teaching participants facts about ancient trees. By drawing attention to how trees grow, adapt and survive, she hopes that people can find a more personal connection with them. "To look at trees is to look at our own selves," she said.

That connection is also becoming part of a broader effort to protect trees for future generations. Recently, the Office of the Beijing Greening Commission issued an action plan for the development of ancient and notable tree protection in the city from 2026 to 2030.

Under the plan, Beijing aims to carry out rescue restoration and preventive protection for more than 3,000 ancient and notable trees over the next five years, while collecting and preserving genetic resources from 100 rare and endangered trees. All trees that are 1,000 years old and above will also be subject to annual health checks.

Beijing plans to create 100 ancient-tree habitat gardens and tree-centered villages, while strengthening protection for clusters of ancient trees in areas including Zhongshan Park and Fragrant Hills Park.

For Cang, however, the value of an ancient tree goes beyond its age or official status. "After all, an ancient tree does not need to move to tell a story. It only needs to remain standing — long enough for generations of people to pass beneath its branches," she said.