Ancient Tang Dynasty Locust Tree in Dulankou Town

Ancient Tang Dynasty Locust Tree in Dulankou Town

The ancient locust tree from the Tang Dynasty is now planted within the courtyard of the Dulankou Town Elderly Care Home. The tree stands 5 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of 4.66 meters, a crown height of about 4 meters, and an overall height of nearly 10 meters. The middle of the trunk is hollow, with the hollow opening to the southwest. Parts of the trunk have died, but the section above ground and the main branch extending north remain healthy and lush with foliage. A saw mark can be seen on the main branch facing west. The whole tree appears ancient, upright, majestic, and impressive.

According to local elders, this site was originally a temple that once had a main hall, a secondary hall, and east and west corridors. At that time, stone tablets were abundant here, including one inscribed with a text written by Ouyang Xiu, a literary figure of the Song Dynasty. However, the temple was later demolished and its remains lost. Now only a high platform remains. Later, a stone tablet about half a meter square was discovered on a wall foundation in the courtyard. It records how merchants from Shanxi donated silver to rebuild the temple and is the only surviving written evidence of the temple’s existence.

Source: Chiping County Chronicles Office