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Puning veterans have been volunteering to guard the precious ancient trees in their hometowns for many years
Before the "August 1st" Founding Day, Puning veteran Qiu Haitong and Jiedong village teacher Liu Xiaomin drove 40 kilometers from Dengfeng Village in Nanxi Town, Puning City, and delivered the two "Five Blessing Persimmon" saplings they had cultivated to the home of Wang Xianqun, a hundred-year-old party member of Matouling Forest Farm in Jingxiyuan Town, Jiexi County. (For details, see the previous report "Video 丨 Unveiling the 100-year-old Party Members celebrating their birthdays with the Party, and the Red Family Rises "Double Centenary Stars")"
Two "Five Blessing Persimmon" saplings were transplanted to the home of "Double Centenarian" Wang Xianqun and his wife.
"'Five Blessings Persimmon' is delivered to the door, I wish you five blessings at the door, all the best!" Qiu Haitong smiled and said to Wang Xianqun and his wife.
Qiu Haitong with the "Five Blessings Persimmon" tree.
More than 40 years ago, Qiu Haitong cherished the dream of serving the country and fought heroically with a large army in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, defending the territorial integrity of the country and the dignity of the nation. Now 64 years old, with his enthusiastic local feelings and hands carrying steel guns, he has been volunteering to guard a precious ancient tree with a history of 300 years and more than 100 ancient tree seedlings in his hometown for many years, showing the true character of a soldier who loves the country and the hometown and is silently dedicated.
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Let the precious ancient trees flourish successfully
Before the Founding Day, the local volunteer group in Jieyang made a special trip to visit Qiu Haitong, who lived alone, to offer condolences. "After I heard Qiu Haitong's story, I admired his feelings of home and country, and this time I came to extend festive greetings to him." Shi Jianrui, legal representative of Jieyang City's Charity Affairs Service Center, said.
Volunteer groups offered condolences to Qiu Haitong.
Qiu Haitong, a native of Dengfeng Village, Nanxi Town, Puning City, embarked on a journey from his hometown to join the army and serve in a certain unit of the People's Liberation Army in Sichuan in 1977. After joining the army, Qiu Haitong grew into an artilleryman with excellent military skills, responsible for reconnaissance and surveying, and in 1979, he participated in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam, and together with his comrades-in-arms, he played a military and national prestige. In 1981, he was honorably discharged from the army and returned to Dengfeng Village.
There is an ancient temple of Nanyan on Feifeng Mountain in Dengfeng Village, which is an important cultural monument and tourist scenic spot in Puning, and the "Distant View of Nanyan" is known as one of the eight ancient scenic spots of Puning. There are many cultural relics in the ancient temple, and there is also a "living cultural relic": an ancient tree of "five blessings persimmon". According to local legend, the tree was planted by Guangdong Governor Xuezheng Huishiqi in the 60th year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1721 AD) of the Qing Dynasty, and it is exactly 300 years old. Because its fruit resembles a number of raised persimmons, it is called "Wufu persimmon" by the locals.
It is said that the "Five Blessings Persimmon" tree is 300 years old.
"Wufu Persimmon" carries the Nanyan culture that has lasted for thousands of years, and pins on the expectations of the villagers of Dengfeng Village for smooth wind and rain, Guotai and Min'an, and has a lofty position in the hearts of the villagers. However, the villagers have a worrying problem: although the ancient tree of "Five Blessings persimmon" bears fruit every year, it has not seen new seedlings growing on the ground. Villagers know that the ancient tree will eventually die one day, and they are even more worried that if the ancient tree is "extinct", the cultural memory it carries will also be lost.
The fruit of the "Five Blessings Persimmon" ripens to turn golden yellow around the Mid-Autumn Festival
Qiu Haitong, who has been playing under the "Wufu Persimmon" tree since he was a child, also has a deep affection for ancient trees, and he is determined to cultivate the "Wufu Persimmon" seedlings!
Qiu Haitong used traditional methods such as germination, grafting, and cuttings to raise seedlings, but unfortunately all of them ended in failure.
"Five Blessings Persimmon" young fruit.
Things took a turn for the better in 2013.
In 2008, Liu Xiaomin, a rural teacher in Jiedong District, learned the story of "Five Blessings Persimmon" from his university biology teacher, made a special trip to Nanxi Town to see ancient trees, and found Qiu Haitong to learn the lessons of breeding. After years of hard work, Liu Qimin finally cultivated the "Five Blessings Persimmon" seedlings.
Village teachers Liu Miaomin and Qiu Haitong inspect the fruit under the "Five Blessings Persimmon" tree.
Why is the breeding of ancient trees so difficult? The reporter sent the relevant photos of "Wufu Persimmon" to the relevant plant experts and the relevant person in charge of the Puning Forestry Bureau, and after consultation, it was learned that the scientific name of "Wufu Persimmon" should be White Laurel And was included in the list of wild plants protected by the national key level three. White laurel wood in the natural community is in a disadvantaged associated position, the ability to occupy the ecological space is small, and due to the small number of individuals of white laurel, inbreeding, inbred, inbred, male and female inflorescence is not conducive to pollination, etc., resulting in low single fruit seeding rate, poor seed quality, the skin contains inhibitory substances to aggravate the low germination rate of seeds in the natural state. Increasing the number of seedlings in their populations through artificial reproduction is the main means of protecting and restoring the resources of white laurel.
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For 8 years, we have volunteered to take care of the public welfare forest
After the success of seedling breeding, Nanyan Ancient Temple rented 2 acres of land to Dengfeng Village nearby for Liu Xiaomin to plant "Five Blessings Persimmon" seedlings and positioned it as a public welfare forest. Liu Qiaomin was mixed with joy and worry: he wanted to teach, and it would take more than 30 kilometers to go back and forth from home to the public welfare forest, and it was impossible to come often; the public welfare forest also needed special management, and there was no money to hire others.
Qiu Haitong has been volunteering to care for the saplings for 8 years.
At this time, Qiu Haitong offered to be willing to be responsible for planting, managing and caring for this "Wufu persimmon" seedling land: "The ancient tree watched me grow up, I have been very affectionate with it since I was a child, and I will take care of the 'Wufu persimmon' seedlings as if they were children." ”
The ecological environment of the garden is excellent, and a natural reishi mushroom grows under the saplings.
Since then, Qiu Haitong has poured the dedication of the soldiers into every famous ancient tree seedling that carries the high hopes of the villagers. Since February 2013, Qiu Haitong has been bringing hoes, dustpans, sickles and drinking water to the woodlands every day to weed and turn the soil. After the land was leveled, he used the surveying skills he learned as an artilleryman in the army to turn this irregular land with an area of 2 acres into an eleven-acre regular forest garden, planting a total of 108 "Five Blessing Persimmon" seedlings. Like soldiers in green uniforms, the seedlings were lined up in a neat 11 phalanx, which were inspected by Qiu Haitong every day.
Under the care of Qiu Haitong, a sapling destroyed by the typhoon re-pulled out new branches.
In the past eight years, there have been many small typhoons and storms, and Qiu Haitong rushed to the seedling garden in time to dredge the drainage ditch and help the saplings that were overwhelmed by the wind and rain to be compacted. Qiu Haitong spends half of his month here, experiencing countless times of hot sun exposure, wind and rain and mosquito bites. In order to take care of the seedlings, he has earned more than 100,000 yuan less over the years, and has also paid a lot of money to buy pesticides, fertilizers and agricultural tools, and he lives a solitary life in a simple old house.
The saplings are now bearing fruit
At present, this "five-luck persimmon" seedling has grown more than 5 meters high, the main trunk has a thick bowl mouth, and has successively hung fruit.
General Li Tonghou once returned to his hometown of Puning to visit the forest garden, and he praised Qiu Haitong: "You will always be a dedicated veteran."
[Reporter] Lin Jieyong Tang Chusheng
[Correspondent] Lin Chunxiao
【Photo/Video】Lin Jieyong
【Author】 Lin Jieyong; Tang Chusheng
【Source】 Southern Press Media Group South + client
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