The king of ginkgo trees has more than 1800 years of history
罗田小山村深藏146棵百年古树，树王银杏已有1800余年历史
银杏树下成了网红打卡地 The ginkgo tree has become a must see site from the internet
极目新闻记者 董淑健
通讯员 刘世民
翻译 张雨晨 马丹妮 步婧
JIMU News reporter: Dong Shujian
Correspondent: Liu Shimin
Translators: Zhang Yuchen, Ma Danni, Bu Jing
罗田县凤山镇有个小山村，1000多人，却拥有146棵百年以上的古树，20多个品种，其中的74棵古树是县里挂牌的“名木”。树王是棵银杏，已有1800余年历史。
A small mountain village with a mere population of 1000 residents in Fengshan Town, Luotian County,boasts 146 ancient trees of over 100 years old. The trees are from more than 20 varieties, with 74 of these ancient trees being listed as “famous trees” by the Luotian County. The king of the trees is a ginkgo, which is more than 1800 years old.
2月16日上午，极目新闻记者来到这个位于大别山深处的古老小山村一探究竟。
On the morning of February 16th, the Jimu News reporter came to this ancient mountain village located deep in the Dabie Mountains to take a closer look at these trees.
救治古树时发现古树村落
A Village of ancient trees is discovered during the campaign of saving ancient trees
驱车从罗田县城出发，往西北方向开行20多分钟便进入大别山深处一个叫周家沟的村落。只见该村山高林密，坡陡沟深，稀稀拉拉的房舍大都建在群山环抱的小山坳里，掩映在高耸入云的树林间。驻村工作队第一书记方玉英介绍，该村的常住人口1000余人，自古就是出入罗田县城“两寨夹一沟”的险峻要道。
A 20-minute drive from Luotian County towards the northeast leads you to a village called Zhoujiagou which is located in the deep Dabie Mountains. As we entered the mountain, we were immersed by the high mountains and dense forests, steep slopes and deep ditches. Most of the houses were spacedout in the small mountain col surrounded by mountains,hidden among the towering trees. Fang Yuying, the chief secretary of the administration group in the village introduced that the resident population of the village is more than 1,000, and that for the longest time, getting in and out ofLuotian County with a valley between the two villageshas always been a challenge.
方玉英说，前年夏天有村民反映一棵老树快要死了，派村干部去查看，发现这棵树龄300余年的连体老樟树正遭白蚁蛀蚀。方玉英赶紧去县城请来白蚁防治专家，很快便将这棵大树治愈。
Fang Yuying said, the summer before last year, some villagers reported that an old tree was dying, thus village cadres were dispatched to inspect thecase. They found that the tree, a conjoined old camphor of over 300 years, was being eaten by termites. Fang Yuying,rushed to the county in search of termite control experts, and soon the tree was cured.
举一反三，方玉英请来罗田县林业局专家指导村里的党员干部山上山下来了一个大普查，共发现全村9000多亩林地里分布着百年以上的古树名木146棵，涉及栎树、樟树、黄檀树、朴树、紫藤树、楠树、女贞、苦槠树等20余个品种。遍及全村的散生古树名木，形成一道独特亮丽的风景。
Drawing a lesson from the camphor tree, Fang Yuying invited experts from the Forestry Bureau of Luotian County to give guidance to the party members and cadres in the village. After making an overall inspection of the mountain, they found that there were 146 ancient and rare trees(all of which were over 100 years old) scattered in the more than 9,000 mu(600 hectares) of woodland. The varieties include oak, camphor, Hubei rosewood, Chinese hackberry, purplevine, Nanmu(phebe), glossy privet, castanopsis sclerophylla and other ancient trees from over 20 species. These ancient and rare trees were spread throughout the village, forming a unique and splendid scenery.
全村最老的是一棵银杏，林业专家鉴定的树龄为1800余年。住在大树旁的村民熊炎昆说，自打他记事起这棵树就是地标。以前这个村曾经叫“白果树湾”，银杏的俗名就叫白果树。
A ginkgo tree was identified by local forestry experts as being more than 1800 years oldmaking it the oldest tree in the village. Xiong Yankun, a villager who lived nearby, had viewed it as a landmark ever since he could remember, for the village used to be called “BaiguoBay”, which is the common name of the ginkgo tree.
146棵古树挂牌保护
146 Ancient Trees are labelled for Protection
“古树是老祖宗留给我们的一笔宝贵财富，每棵古树都是一部活着的家族史”，方玉英组织村干部召集村民小组开会，大家统一思想，提高认识，保护古树很快成了全体村民的共识。
“Ancient trees are valuable treasures left to us by our ancestors, each of which represents a living family history”.Fang Yuying, along with the village cadres, held a meeting with the villagers to come to a unity of thoughtand raise awarenesson the protection of ancient trees, and this soon became the consensus reached by all of them.
2021年秋，全村146棵古树全都登记在册并挂牌保护起来，每棵都有了至少一名领养人，长年看护，浇水施肥。全村掀起古树名木保护的高潮。
In the autumn of 2021, the wave of protectingancient trees set off in the whole village: all 146 ancient trees were registered and listed for protection, while each of them was assigned to at least one keeper for long-term caring and nourishing.
有位村民以前有上山砍树烧柴火的习惯，不仅与村民群起护树的氛围不协调，还涉嫌违法。方玉英反复上门做工作，使他认识到保护树木的好处和重要意义，不仅下决心从此再不砍树，而且表示用自己的有生之年在全村的荒山荒坡栽树1.3万棵。
However, one villager was in the habit of cutting down trees on the mountainto use as firewood.His actions not only went against the villagers trees-protection practice, but was also suspected of being illegal. After Fang Yuyings repeated admonishingin person, the villager, realizing the importance of trees protection, not only resolved to never cut trees, butalso expressed that he would spend his lifetime planting 13,000 trees on the barren hills of the mountain.
如今，他栽的首批树苗已经快发芽了。
As of today, the first batch of saplings planted by the villager are about to sprout.
银杏树下渐成网红打卡地
The 1800-year-old Ginkgo tree in the Fengshan town, Luotian county has gradually becomeinternet-famous.
周家沟村发展乡村旅游的想法是从那棵银杏树开始的。
Inspired by the ginkgo tree, Zhoujiagou village had the idea of developing rural tourism.
去年夏天，有个短视频在抖音平台反复播放，画面中几位少女在银杏树旁边的几棵大树枝下悠闲地荡秋千的镜头特别美，也特别感人，于是一传十，十传百，银杏树下渐渐成了网红打卡地。
Last summer, a short video went viral onDouyin, the Chinese version of Tik Tok. The video showed stunning view of several young girls playing on a swingunder the trees next to the ginkgo tree. The short video soon gained wider popularity on the internet, and the ginkgo tree has since then become a must see place from the internet.
方玉英说，村委会请来县文旅局有关工作人员指导，发现百棵挺拔的老树配上熊家寨、万全寨遥相呼应的山岚，晏儿塆、周家塆、熊家寨耸入云端的龙脊梯田，加上两座碧波荡漾的水库，的确是一个养在深闺人未识的集休闲、旅游、娱乐、民俗于一体的人间仙境。
FangYuyingsaid thatvillage committeeinvited county Cultural and Tourist Administration for guidance, who concluded that the hundreds of ancient treescombinedwith the mists surrounding bothXiongjiaandWanquanvillage, coupled with the soaringLongjiRice Terraces ofYaner andZhoujiavillage as well asXiongjia village ,all with the backdrop of two reservoirs rippling with green lucid waves make a whole new fairylandon earthwhere one enjoys leisure, tourism, recreation and folk customs.
村子区位优势明显，从东线北丰和西线栗子坳上村分别只有6公里，从县城出发来旅游仅13公里，路程短、看点多、景点丰富，山水奇秀、梯田层叠、寨城对峙、植被丰茂，特别是146棵或沧桑百态或高大挺拔或阴翳蔽日或守望村头婀娜多姿的古树，别有一番风味。
The village boastsa superior geographical location. Its only 6 kilometers from Beifeng on the eastern route and Li zi’ao village on the western route, and merely 13 kilometers for visitors who would like to travel here from the counties and towns. The picturesque Zhoujiagou village is surrounded by lush mountains and lucid waters, expansive terraced fields, numerous stockaded villages and especially the exuberant forestation that hosts 146 charming old trees that give an aura of loftiness, luxuriance, as well as gracefulness.
方玉英表示，周家沟村一定会让“鄂东古树名木第一村”实至名归。
FangYuyingsaid that the village was really living up to its name “the top village of ancient and famous ancient trees in the eastern side of Hubei”.