Data for Mount Tai's ancient trees stored on digital ID cards

The famous yingkesong tree is pictured on Mount Tai in Shandong province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Nearly 20,000 ancient trees on the renowned Mount Tai in Shandong province now have "digital ID cards", the Mount Tai scenic area management committee said on Sunday.

The digital ID cards hold basic information on the trees collected by a new monitoring and management system.

Providing basic information about the trees, the system helps rangers examine growing environment and conditions, and monitor physiology, climate, diseases and pests.

The system can calculate whether a tree is healthy, weak or dying, while recording the harm a tree has suffered and the degree of any damage.

There are 18,195 ancient trees on Mount Tai, and 1,821 of the mare classified as first-class ancient trees, meaning they are more than 300 years old, particularly rare or of historical significance.

The mountain is home to several famous trees such as a pine named yingkesong (guest-welcoming pine). As a popular tourist attraction on Mount Tai, the more than 500-year-old pine was put on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage list.

Mount Tai, one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, holds great historical and cultural significance. Its peak is called the "Jade Emperor Peak" and is about 1,500 meters above sea level.