A bird's-eye view of the Five Mountains area. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in Jiangsu province has completed research on over 600 rare and ancient trees in its Five Mountains area, which hosts the largest number of such trees in the city.

As of the end of June, Five Mountains Tourism Development had completed a general survey of the 112 ancient trees and 510 rare trees, as well as the protection of 51 rare and ancient trees in the area.

The trees, which include varieties of gingko trees, Chinese oaks, and yew plum pines, are mainly distributed on Langshan Mountain, Nantong Botanical Garden, Seyuan Garden, and Junshan Mountain.

Zhu Yuanyuan, deputy director of Five Mountains Tourism Development, explained that they have created an electronic file for the trees, which documents in detail each tree's basic information, health conditions, and protective measures and treatments.

The company has also established an expert team on ancient tree preservation to carry out health examination regularly, according to Zhu.

A recently-treated 526-year-old cypress on Langshan Mountain. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

For example, a 526-year-old cypress on Langshan Mountain, the oldest tree in Five Mountains area, was severely rotted, with its inside completely weathering. It took nearly one month to clear the rotten parts of the tree, spray bactericide and pesticide, apply healing agent, and erect posts to support the old tree. As a result of these efforts, the treetop has grown a new crown, bursting with signs of improved health.

Zhu noted that ancient trees are valuable witnesses to history, as they are closely related to local folklores, customs, and historical allusions. Therefore, preserving ancient trees also serves to preserve local history.