Ancient Camphor Tree Cluster in Zhanie Village, Fotan

　　In a small fishing village called Zhanie Village in Fotan Town, Zhangpu County, there is an ancient camphor tree cluster that is nearly a thousand years old. These ancient camphor trees, totaling nine in number, are all 712 years old. They are located on the eastern side of the village near the sea, among which two ancient banyan trees are also interspersed.

　　During the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, ancestors of the Chen family came to Fotan Town and settled in Zhanie Village, establishing their roots and flourishing over generations. At that time, because the village was close to the sea, strong winds often blew from the seaside during autumn and winter, causing sand and stones to fly around the village, and many houses were buried by windblown sand. To combat the sand and wind, the Chen ancestors planted camphor trees, banyan trees, and other vegetation along the shore to serve as windbreaks and sand stabilizers — a practice that has continued for over seven hundred years.

　　Over time, most of the original protective forest has disappeared, leaving behind only these ancient camphor and banyan trees. Among them, the most miraculous is a local tree known as the “Camphor Embracing Banyan,” where a camphor and a banyan have grown into one. The camphor trunk is thick and particularly upright, with a diameter at breast height of over two meters — so large that it takes six adults holding hands to encircle it. Meanwhile, the banyan tree has sent out two thick roots from a fork in the camphor tree about three meters above the ground, which have deeply rooted into the earth, appearing as if they are tightly embracing the camphor tree, while also growing luxuriantly.

　　The old camphor trees here emit a strong fragrance when you approach them. Camphor wood has the effects of deodorizing, repelling insects, and purifying the air. Especially in summer, not a single mosquito can be seen under the trees, making it an ideal place for villagers to cool off. The ancient trees, fishing village, sea, sandy beach, along with the traditional swallow-tailed ancestral houses, form a beautiful scene of Southern Fujian charm, attracting numerous visitors from both within and outside the county.