A Millennium-Old Camphor Tree

Millennium-Old Camphor Tree

The millennium-old camphor tree is located in front of Zhangshu Dujiavillage, Xinzhuang Village, GaoTieling Town, Jiayu County. With an estimated age of about 1,030 years, its main trunk has a diameter exceeding 3 meters and a circumference of nearly 10 meters. At a height of 2.8 meters from the ground, the trunk branches out into three major limbs: one extending upward with a diameter of 92 centimeters, one stretching westward with a diameter of 147 centimeters, and one growing northward with a diameter of 160 centimeters. The northern section of the trunk has rotted hollow and bears traces of fire damage. According to villagers, the camphor tree stands 21 meters tall, with an east-west chest diameter of 3 meters and a north-south diameter of 4 meters. Its canopy covers an area of 428 square meters. Despite its thousand-year history, the tree remains lush with foliage and continues to bloom and bear fruit. Gao Tie once wrote a poem about it: “Stately and shady, lush and grand; shielding from winter’s chill and summer’s heat. Through ages of change, it stands as witness; even after a thousand years, it defies frost and cold.”

Legend has it that during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, a family surnamed Du from Jiangxi migrated and wandered to escape war and famine. When they arrived at Xinzhuang Village, GaoTieling Town, Jiayu County, they discovered a large camphor tree “as thick as a washbasin” at the foot of a small hill. Believing it to be a feng shui treasure land, they settled there, and the village came to be called “Zhangshu Dujiavillage” (Camphor Tree Du Family Village). On September 1, 1984, a lightning strike caused a branch of the camphor tree to break due to its hollow interior. In October 1997, a main branch collapsed due to a fire. Today, the damaged trunk is covered with secondary growth. Local villagers have long regarded this ancient camphor tree as the “village guardian tree” and take great care of it.

Address: Xinzhuang Village, GaoTieling Town, Jiayu County

Recommended Visiting Time: Year-round (January–December)

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