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26
2018
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02
Ginkgo Tree at Tiancheng Temple
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On either side of the temple stand two towering, stately ginkgo trees, like imposing guardians that proudly flank the courtyard of Tiancheng Temple. The ginkgo, also known as the white fruit tree, the “grandson‑grandfather” tree, or the duck‑foot tree, is often called China’s tree by the world. Originating in the Paleozoic era, it survived the Quaternary glaciations and now survives only in China, making it of immense scientific value for paleontological research and earning it the revered nickname “living fossil.” Both of these ginkgo trees are 25 meters tall, with trunks measuring 3.1 meters in circumference, and though they are over 800 years old, they are still but “children” in the grand scheme of things.
Just how long these trees can live remains a mystery to this day. In 1993, Tianjin Television reported that in Qufu, Shandong, there are two ginkgo trees that are said to be over four thousand years old. Their trunk circumference at breast height measures 17.07 meters, requiring twelve people to encircle it; reportedly, these are only mature specimens.
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