Ancient Persimmon Trees in Xiajin

Ancient Persimmon Trees in Xiajin

According to the village history of Qiantun, in the 25th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1391), the Chu family migrated from Hongtaihuai in Shanxi Province to this area, bringing with them several ancient persimmon trees. Among them are trees up to 600 years old, the oldest in the North China Plain. The largest tree stands 14.2 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of 75 centimeters, a crown spread of 14 meters, and a semi-circular umbrella-shaped canopy. Its thick trunk and branches support a dense foliage, with over ten exposed roots resembling coiled dragons, exuding a powerful aura. Although these ancient persimmon trees show signs of age, they remain vigorous and bear abundant fruit, with some individual trees yielding over a thousand pounds of fruit as recently as 1995.