Rubber Mother Tree Scenic Area

Rubber Mother Tree Scenic Area

Rubber Mother Tree Scenic Area

Rubber is an important industrial raw material. The main rubber-producing regions in China are Hainan, Taiwan, Guangxi, and Yunnan provinces. In Yunnan, Xishuangbanna is the primary producing area, covering over 1.3 million mu. Although Dehong is not a major producing area—with just over 100,000 mu—it has made indelible historical contributions to the early history of rubber cultivation in China.

In 1940, Mr. Dao Airen, the 24th Tusi (local chieftain) of Yingjiang Gan'ya, on his way back from studying in Japan, purchased 800 rubber seedlings in Malaysia during a stopover and planted them on Phoenix Mountain in Xincheng Township, Yingjiang. These were the first batch of rubber trees introduced to China—two years earlier than those in Taiwan and one year earlier than those in Hainan. Due to various factors such as technology, management, and wartime turmoil, only three trees survived by the time of the liberation. Later, two more died, leaving only one surviving tree today, which has been listed as one of the nationally protected key trees.

This tree stands over 20 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of more than 200 centimeters and a root diameter of over 90 centimeters. It is considered the oldest, tallest-crowned, and largest-trunked rubber tree in China. Therefore, it is hailed as China's Rubber Mother Tree and holds significant value for science education, research, and study.