China home to 5.08 million ancient and famous trees

GUANGZHOU -- China is currently home to approximately 5.08 million ancient and famous trees that are preserved, as announced at a national ancient and famous tree protection event in south China's Guangzhou city on Monday.

The country's third comprehensive survey on ancient and famous trees has been launched to strengthen conservation efforts, according to the event aimed at related science popularization.

Building on previous surveys and aligning with certain regulations, the new survey is set to document the distribution, growth status, and historical significance of these trees, forming a precise database to support targeted protection measures.

Highlighting regional efforts, Guangdong Province, host of this year's event, manages more than 85,000 ancient trees using digital IDs and smart monitoring systems.

According to China's ancient and famous trees protection regulations implemented this year, the term "ancient tree" refers to trees with an age of 100 years or more, excluding trees artificially cultivated for the primary purpose of timber production in commercial forests. The term "famous tree" refers to trees that possess significant historical, cultural, scientific, or landscape value, or are of important commemorative significance.