A Poem on the Millennium-Old Ginkgo Tree in Guzhuli Village
Author: Zhu Jianrong. Published on January 2, 2023 in Today's Jingde.
Spring is like emerald hills; autumn is dazzling gold,
Through bitter cold and blazing heat it still stands proud.
Roots twist, branches stir, the trunk is ancient and firm,
Smiling as thunder rolls and sky-fire flashes bright.
Notes:
Guzhu Natural Village lies in the eastern part of Lianshan Village, at the foot of Dahong Mountain. Its history can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang. Descendants of Wang Bi spread across many places, and not long after Jingde County was established in the Tang dynasty, one branch moved here from Kuzhugang in Qixi. Because the area had many bitter bamboos, and to commemorate their former home, they named the place "Kuzhuli" (Bitter Bamboo Hamlet). In the early 1970s, locals felt the character "bitter" carried an unlucky meaning, so the name was changed from "Kuzhuli" to "Guzhuli" (Ancient Bamboo Hamlet).
Because Wang Bi's descendants often recalled the hardship of their ancestors' old life in Kuzhugang, they planted a Huanglian tree at the village entrance. Its main trunk later died with age, and what remains today are the later shoots. After more than four hundred years of wind and rain, it has grown lush and shady, with a canopy like a giant umbrella. After settling in Guzhu, Wang Bi's descendants planted another ginkgo tree at the far end of the village. It is now more than 1,300 years old, at least twenty meters tall, with a crown of seventy to eighty square meters, and a trunk that takes seven adults to encircle.
In the summer of 1917, after receiving a PhD in philosophy from Cornell University, the 26-year-old Hu Shi returned home and was hired as a professor at Peking University. Later, through arrangements between his mother and the Jiang family, Hu Shi set the wedding date for December 30 (lunar November 17), when he would marry Jiang Dongxiu. Before the wedding, Hu Shi composed the famous couplet "Traveled seventy thousand li; kept a promise for thirteen years," referring to his years of study in the United States and his childhood betrothal. Beside the ginkgo tree there is a small path. It is said that Hu Shi used this old road to carry Jiang Dongxiu by sedan chair from Jiang Village in Jingde County to Jixi County.
In 2016, a local benefactor named Cheng Xiaofu donated funds to build a hexagonal pavilion beside the ginkgo tree. Its inscription reads, in spirit: "The mountain pavilion stays fresh and bright, holding life in place; the millennium ginkgo welcomes guests." Sitting in the pavilion, visitors can enjoy a full view of the ancient tree. When a breeze passes, ginkgo leaves fall softly. Drinking tea and chatting there is truly pleasant.
An ancient tree that has weathered immense change can stand proud for a thousand years only because generations have protected it. To protect and treat old trees well is part of the spirit of Guzhu. It reflects a harmonious relationship between people and nature, and allows the village's local memory to continue.