The City of Three Relics 丨 Tree Bridge Chapter: The Treasure of the Town Garden Zhang Song Ginkgo Biloba

The treasure of Dujiangyan Town Garden - Zhang Song Ginkgo

Text/Zi Rou (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)

Dujiangyan Scenic Area away from the Dui Park Weir Gong Road, there is a leafy ancient ginkgo pile head, the bottom two stems stand upright, one stem like a foot on the ground, a dry papillae and like a foot is moving forward, about a meter away from the two stems heal into one, tree-like or head or tail, or chest or wings, like a pavilion independent white crane, this is the legendary "Zhang Song Ginkgo" tree.

It is a legendary ancient tree that has a history of about 1800 years. Zhang Song, a native of the late Eastern Han Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period, a native of Sichuan, a subordinate of the Eastern Han Dynasty emperor and warlord Liu Zhang of Yizhou, was an official in Yizhou. Zhang Song is short and ugly, but he is very smart, has a good memory, and never forgets. At that time, Zhang Lu of Hanzhou attacked Yizhou, Liu Zhang was very scared and wanted to find a patron, so he asked Zhang Song to contact Cao Cao, and Zhang Song quietly carried a treasure with liu Zhang on his back when he went- the map of Yizhou, which Liu Bei used when he attacked Yizhou. Zhang Song had other plans for the cowardly and suspicious Liu Zhang, and the map he carried when he traveled was actually a submission form prepared for himself to find the next patron. At that time, Liu Bei was preparing to enter Sichuan, when he saw Zhang Song coming, he thought that the opportunity had come, so he treated Zhang Song with good wine and good meat, Zhang Song was very moved, he returned to Sichuan and recommended Liu Bei to Liu Zhang, and Liu Bei was able to enter Sichuan. Later, because of the revelation of the matter, Zhang Song conspired with Fazheng, Meng Da and others to surrender Liu Bei when Liu Bei entered Sichuan, and then tried to persuade Liu Bei to enter Le, but after the incident, he was discovered by Liu Zhang, who beheaded Zhang Songman.com. Zhang Song was wiped out, but a ginkgo tree he planted with his own hands survived to this day and grew luxuriantly.

Zhang Song Ginkgo (Walk Around the World, Mobile Phone Photo)

Previously, this tree was planted in Zhang Song's hometown of Fengle (Tangchang) Sansheng Temple in Chongning County. Folklore has it that there was a hunter hunting birds next to the temple forest, shooting a white crane wing, the white crane wing was broken, fell in the Three Holy Temple, the hunter rushed to the temple to find the injured white crane, found the forest garden to see a tall ginkgo papilla is dripping fresh blood, the hunter looked up, towering blue sky ginkgo tree is like a white crane with wings in the air, and the white crane shot earlier is very similar, take a closer look, the arrow is embedded in the dripping blood, the hunter understands that he mistakenly shot the local legendary crane for a long time, scared of the soul Hurry up and bow down and repent. The abbot of the Three Holy Mosques just happened to travel here, listening to what the hunter said, he suddenly realized that the ginkgo tree planted by Zhang Song under his eyes turned out to be the legendary white crane, so the abbot read the words. Everyone rushed to tell each other, the spectators were like clouds, the Three Holy Temples were able to flourish with incense, and since then, Zhang Song Ginkgo has been called the "White Crane Immortal" tree.

In 1952, when Chengdu built the "Banzai Exhibition Hall", the famous millennium ginkgo biloba was naturally collected and transplanted in a corner of the exhibition hall, but there was no fence facility protection, and passers-by and children climbed and shook at will. Once, when the staff of the county cultural relics bureau went to Chengdu on a business trip to "visit" this "Zhang Song Ginkgo", they saw several children playing, climbing and playing in the trees.

Zhang Song Ginkgo Biloba

Zhang Song Ginkgo also seems to be dissatisfied with the soil and water, the growth is declining, was transplanted to The Tianfu Moist Land Dujiangyan, and later the Ginkgo biloba was restored to life, and sent back to Chengdu from Lidui Park, and the people of Guanxian County beat gongs and drums and wrapped branches in red silk paper to Chengdu Huangcheng Dam. Later, the ginkgo biloba was again unsatisfied, and the county cultural relics bureau tried its best to get the ginkgo tree back and replanted it in Lidui Park in 1958.

Zhang Song Ginkgo biloba is now about 6 meters tall and has a tree circumference of about 5 meters. Although it is no longer a tall and tall towering tree, it is now unique in shape, like a crane spreading its wings, bathed in the water of the Three Kingdoms of Dujiangyan for thousands of years, containing a thick Tianfu history and culture, which can be called a living fossil, and has become a rare plant protected by the state, and in 2004 it was awarded the honor of "Top Ten Famous Trees" in Chengdu.

Nowadays, the lower side of the Zhang Song ginkgo tree is two trunks side by side, more than a meter high, the two stems are like crane feet on the ground, the hanging milk is like a crane foot and wants to walk, in the spring and summer, the branches are luxuriant, green, graceful, as if the white crane is dancing, and what is more unique is that it is covered with white fruit shoots, really like the feet and claws of the "White Crane Fairy".

The canopy has been carefully trimmed by horticultural beauticians, and the shape of the white crane (head, tail, wings and chest) is more perfect and vivid. The most peculiar thing is that Zhang Song Ginkgo belongs to the male plant, which has never hung fruit for thousands of years, since 2000, its trunk, main branch, branch are hung with white fruits, and since then, it has borne fruit every year, indicating that Dujiangyan is happy and healthy today, and the motherland is prosperous and prosperous. White fruit has edible value, can be fried to eat, boiled to eat, the most delicious way is the combination of white fruit and Qingcheng stewed chicken beads, that is, a must-have Dujiangyan famous product - white fruit stewed chicken.

Wei Gong Dao

The "ginseng fruit tree" in the classic TV series 1986 version of "Journey to the West" is exactly this Zhang Song Ginkgo tree, and the situation of Sun Wukong stealing ginseng fruit is still vividly remembered, and may also be deeply engraved in your and my mind.

Tourists who visit Dujiangyan almost have to take photos and pray for blessings under the tree of Zhang Song Ginkgo, and it has also become a "white crane fairy" tree for young couples to make a wish.

In late autumn and early winter, Zhang Song's ginkgo trees are full of gold, and the stars are brilliant, like golden butterflies flying, floating all over the ground, and golden everywhere.

A leaf of apricot yellow floated all over the garden, and the golden armor was everywhere.

Legendary Zhang Song Ginkgo tree, away from the town of Dui Garden White Crane Immortal.

【About the author】Zi Rou, formerly known as Liu Wanxiang, is a native of Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. English teacher, member of Dujiangyan Writers Association, editorial board member of "Dujiangyan Of Years".

Edit: Years dujiangyan