Guardians of Time: How Chinese Temples Preserve the Nation’s Ancient Trees

Ancient Chinese temples, like Guanyin Chan and Tanzhe, safeguard thousands of ancient trees, including 1,400-year-old ginkgos. A study revealed that Buddhist and Taoist temples host 46,966 ancient trees, preserving biodiversity and cultural heritage. Temples protect rare species, including the critically endangered Carpinus putoensis. Ginkgo trees, symbolic in Chinese Buddhism, thrive in temple grounds, introduced during Buddhism’s spread 2,000 years ago. Unlike sacred groves globally, China’s large-scale, systematic preservation showcases a unique ecological and spiritual convergence, vital for future climate resilience.

Nestled at the base of Zhongnan Mountain in Xi'an, China, the Guanyin Chan Temple is home to an awe-inspiring ginkgo tree that has stood for over 1,400 years. Every autumn, this ancient marvel transforms into a stunning golden spectacle, captivating visitors with its beauty and history. Legend holds that the tree was planted by Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang dynasty (618–907) during a visit to the temple. Now, this tree is a symbol of a much larger phenomenon: the vital role of temples in safeguarding China’s ancient trees.

A Sanctuary for Ancient Trees

A recent study conducted by Chinese and Australian researchers, published in Current Biology on June 4, highlights how Buddhist and Taoist temples in China have served as sanctuaries for tens of thousands of ancient trees over the past 2,000 years. This phenomenon is unparalleled in human-transformed landscapes elsewhere in the world.

China defines "ancient trees" as those over 100 years old, with a total of 5.08 million such trees officially registered across the country. Researchers examined a database of 46,966 ancient trees located in 5,125 Buddhist and 1,420 Taoist temples. On average, each temple was found to host 7.2 ancient trees. Although temple trees make up less than 1% of all registered ancient trees in China, their density is extraordinary—over 7,000 times higher than in non-temple locations.

Why Temples?

The practice of preserving trees within temples is deeply rooted in religious and cultural beliefs. In Buddhism, trees have profound symbolic significance: the Buddha was born under an ashoka tree, attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree, and passed away under a sal tree. In northern China, where the climate is too harsh for the Indian Bodhi tree, the ginkgo tree has taken on the role of the sacred tree in Han Buddhism.

The natural habitats of ginkgo trees are confined to isolated areas in China, such as the Dalou Mountains, Nanling Mountains, and Tianmu Mountain. These populations are relics from the last Ice Age. However, ancient ginkgo trees are frequently found in temple grounds, likely introduced as Buddhism spread in China nearly 2,000 years ago.

Protecting Endangered Species

Temples are not only home to ginkgo trees but also provide refuge for other rare species. The survey documented 5,989 ancient trees from 61 threatened species within temple grounds, representing nearly half of the endangered ancient trees in the surveyed counties. Some species, such as the critically endangered Carpinus putoensis, exist only in temple grounds.

One such specimen of Carpinus putoensis resides in Huiji Temple on Putuo Mountain, Zhejiang province. This tree, brought from Myanmar by a monk over 200 years ago, is the last known wild representative of its species. Discovered in 1932, it is now a living testament to the intersection of ecological and spiritual values.

A Legacy of Resilience

Temples like Tanzhe Temple in western Beijing further exemplify the role of sacred sites as ecological havens. With a history spanning 1,700 years, Tanzhe Temple is older than the city of Beijing itself. It is home to 178 ancient trees, including two 1,300-year-old ginkgo trees, numerous sal trees, and the Maclura tricuspidata trees that inspired the temple’s name.

Yang Yongchuan, the senior author of the study and a conservation researcher at Chongqing University, emphasized the importance of these trees in an interview with Nature on June 5: “These trees not only bear witness to China’s recorded history but have also endured millennia of climatic fluctuations. Their progeny may possess enhanced adaptability to future climatic shifts.”

A Global Perspective

The practice of protecting trees in sacred spaces is not unique to China. India’s sacred groves, Japan’s shrine forests, and West Africa’s ancestral tree sites are all examples of this phenomenon. However, the scale and systematic documentation of ancient tree preservation in China make it exceptional. These trees stand as living archives of history, resilience, and the intertwined relationship between humanity and nature.

By safeguarding these ancient trees, China’s temples not only preserve their ecological and cultural heritage but also offer hope for a future where nature and human activity can coexist harmoniously.

Source: Adapted from a report published in the South China Morning Post.