Xiaowu Ginkgo

Xiaowu Ginkgo

　　Xiaowu Ginkgo is a specialty of Xiaowu Township in Xiaochang County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province. In the fields and hillsides of Dawu Mountain in Xiaowu Township, Xiaochang County, the forest is ablaze with color. The golden ginkgo leaves add a vibrant touch to the early winter mountain village.

　　The ginkgo tree is a precious deciduous tree. Before the Western Han Dynasty, it was called “ping,” from the Jin to the Tang dynasties it became known as “pingzhong,” and it started being called “ginkgo” in the Song Dynasty due to its apricot-like shape and white kernel. During the Ming Dynasty, it was referred to as “baiguo” (white fruit). Also, because it takes a long time to grow—often planted by one’s grandfather and enjoyed by one’s grandson—it is also called “gongsunshu” (grandfather-grandson tree). The ginkgo tree is the only surviving species of the ginkgo family, having endured ancient ice ages and now found only in China. It is hailed as a “living fossil” and is a nationally protected tree species.

　　Xiaowu Township is the main production area for ginkgo trees in Xiaochang County. According to statistics, there are approximately 36,000 ginkgo trees in the township, including 5 trees over 500 years old, 94 trees aged between 100 and 500 years, 300 trees aged between 20 and 100 years, and about 35,500 trees under 20 years old. The majority of Xiaowu’s ginkgo trees over 50 years old are distributed in villages such as Jieling, Dawu, Humiao, Xiangmiao, and Huiting. The oldest tree, located in Liujiachong, Shiyancun, has a trunk diameter of 3.5 meters, a height of 16 meters, and is at least 600 years old.