Camphor Embracing Wax

　　On the water-surrounded Chishan Island, there stands a peculiar Camphor Embracing Wax tree. An ancient camphor tree’s branches cradle a lush wax tree, and the two have long since fused into one, embracing each other affectionately as they stand proudly at the entrance of Banjiao Village in Nanzui Town.

　　The wax tree stands 19 meters tall, with a girth of 9.9 meters — it takes six people to encircle it — and its canopy spans 15 meters wide. The wax tree nestled within the camphor tree stands alone at 10 meters tall, with a girth of 1.26 meters. Scientific analysis suggests that the wax tree grew from seeds dropped by birds into a decaying hollow on the camphor tree’s branch. Over time, the wax tree’s roots grew through the rotted cavity, reached the soil below, and began drawing nutrients. Year after year, the small wax tree grew into a large tree within the embrace of the camphor. According to forestry experts, the ancient camphor tree is over a thousand years old, while the young wax tree has also lived for more than 400 years.

　　The sight of the wax growing within the camphor is truly rare in nature. They stand resilient on Chishan Island in Dongting Lake, having endured countless storms, fires, and lightning strikes. Though three or four branches have been burnt or broken off, they remain upright and full of vitality, like a giant green umbrella standing tall on the island — like a pair of lovers bound by life and death, forever embracing each other between heaven and earth.

　　Over time, the tree’s unique shape and tenacious vitality have given rise to many legends. Some say it symbolizes the eternal love between a young fisherman named Zhang and a girl named La, who defied a local tyrant. But more people believe it represents the incarnations of Fan Li and Xi Shi. Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, the famed strategist Fan Li helped King Goujian of Yue plot his revenge against the King of Wu, Fuchai, by offering the beautiful Xi Shi to distract the Wu king with wine and lust, causing him to neglect state affairs. Years later, after enduring hardship and plotting his comeback, King Goujian, with Fan Li’s help, finally defeated Fuchai and restored Yue’s glory. Wise to the dangers of court life, Fan Li chose to retire after the victory. He first took Xi Shi north to engage in trade, becoming the wealthy and revered “Tao Zhugong.”

　　Sailing a small boat up the Yangtze River, they wandered across the lakes. Upon reaching Dongting Lake, they were captivated by its vast misty waters where sky and lake merged into one, fishermen busy hauling their catches, and locals living a peaceful life with bountiful harvests. Especially when their boat approached Chishan Island — an isolated paradise surrounded by water, covered in lush greenery, filled with birdsong and floral scents, where locals made their living fishing and welcomed others with open arms — Fan Li and Xi Shi were moved to settle down on this idyllic island.

　　There, they taught and spun, lived under assumed names, did good deeds, and enjoyed a peaceful retirement. Hundreds of years after their passing, villagers unearthed relics that revealed the identities of the reclusive couple as none other than the famous Fan Li and Xi Shi. To honor these wise and noble figures, the island was renamed Lishan Island, where temples dedicated to Fan Li and Lady Xi were built. Later, at the burial site of Fan Li and Xi Shi, this extraordinary Camphor Embracing Wax tree grew, serving as inspiration and a timeless tribute for future generations.