Tianjing Garden

Tianjing Garden

The Legend of the Ancient Divine Tree: Tancheng was once the site of an ancient civilization with a long history and profound cultural heritage. Twenty-five kilometers to the west, on the banks of the Yi River at Red Stone Cliff, lies the site of the renowned "Ancient Plum of Red Cliff," one of the celebrated Eight Scenic Spots of Ancient Tancheng. On the cliff stands an ancient ginkgo tree that is 41.9 meters tall, with a circumference of 8 meters and a diameter of 2.6 meters. The tree stands tall and straight, reaching toward the sky. Nearby are gathered many beautiful legends, such as those of the Nine Maidens Pines, the Ancient Locust Tree, the Phoenix Beak Drum Platform, the Official Bamboo Temple at Kenong Manor, and the Western Han Dynasty tombs buried below the cliff.

When was this tree planted, and by whom? Currently, there are four recorded theories:

First, the Tang Dynasty Theory: The basis is that Buddhism flourished during the Tang Dynasty, and temples were widespread. The Official Bamboo Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty, and the tree was planted at the same time as the temple.

Second, the Northern Wei Theory: The basis is from Volume Three of the "Luoyang Temple Record," which states: "In the Zhengguang era, Emperor Xiaoming ascended the throne and took the reins of government, advocating Buddhism and constructing many temples. The Xin Village Official Bamboo Temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the tree was planted at that time."

Third, the Western Han Theory: The basis is that Emperor Ming of Han dreamed of a golden figure with a white halo flying around the hall and ascending northward. The scholar Fu Yi interpreted the dream, saying, "There is a man in India named Buddha." Emperor Ming of Han then sent envoys to the Western Heaven to seek Buddhist scriptures, and Buddhism began to flourish. The Official Bamboo Temple was built during the Han Dynasty, and the tree was planted at that time.

Fourth, the Late Shang to Early Zhou Theory: The basis is from the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhuo Congmin’s ancestral work "Miscellaneous Records by the North Window," which states that in the late Shang and early Zhou period, King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, continued to grant the title of the State of Tancheng. The ruler of Tancheng, Tanzi, saw that Red Stone Cliff in Xin Village, with vast fertile lands to the east and the surging Yi River to the west, was an ideal place for economic development. He built several small houses there, named Kenong Manor. Together with his wife and accompanied by civil and military officials as well as part of the army, he often stayed on the cliff, cultivating land and planting grains, millets, fruits, and mulberries. He established a demonstration base to teach people agricultural techniques. The ancient ginkgo tree was personally planted by Tanzi at that time.

"Miscellaneous Records by the North Window" also provides many poems and folk songs related to the ancient male ginkgo tree. One poem goes: “The ancient tree, eighteen spans in girth, was planted by Tanzi himself to teach farming. Don’t say it bears little fruit each year, it can still provide for the pure vegetarian meals of the monastery.” A folk song says: “In ancient times, Shaohao established the State of Tancheng; Tanzi personally planted the jade-like fruit. The seeds were a gift from the Queen Mother of the West—two males and two females, four trees in total. Two were planted on the bluestone cliff, and two were planted to boil water for the people.”