Author: Liu Qinghua
In Nanjing in April, the cherry blossoms and magnolias fade away, and the sycamore catkins scattered all over the city are like the "snow" in spring, flying in the air.
The flocculent is like "snow", and the snow is like the flocculent. This "snow" is also annoying and annoying, accidentally kissed his eyes, hugged his neck, and drilled into people's nostrils, and "intimacy" made passers-by wear masks, scarves, and sunglasses. Despite this, the people of Nanjing are not annoyed or angry, because this is the language of the sycamore tree for a year, let her whisper softly, and she will be gentle and wonderful!
The sycamore tree has been married to this city and the people of this city for several generations. Rooted in the complex of some old Nanjing people, there are a few things that cannot be moved, and I heard that the first place in the list is the plane tree. The sycamore tree is the soul tree of Nanjing people, and there is also a saying that "without the sycamore, there would be no Nanjing". The sycamore tree and Nanjing are so closely hugged like pomegranate seeds, and no one can do without anyone.
The plane tree, like many Nanjing elements, such as the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and the Yangtze River Bridge, has become a business card of Nanjing.
In fact, the "plane tree" in Nanjing City is not a real plane tree, and the real name should be plane tree. Just because the appearance is very similar to the Chinese plane tree, it is used to being called "plane tree", and some people add a "law", called "law tree".
There is a difference between the Chinese sycamore and the "French sycamore" (plane tree).
Let's start with the "French plane tree" (plane tree), which belongs to the plane tree family of the Rosaceae family, and botanical calls it a deciduous large tree. The tree is native to places like Southeastern Europe, India, and the Americas. The tree has a large thick crown and triangular leaves, slightly larger than the Chinese plane tree. As a world-famous street tree, the plane tree (Plane tree) deserves its name!
In addition, the Chinese plane tree, belonging to the Malvaceae family Sycamore, like poplar tree, straight upward, smooth and green, small leaves, the shape is the same as the "law wu", also in a triangular shape, and the trunk is not thick.
Plane is a very figurative name. When its leaves wither, the spherical fruit hangs on the branches, and it looks like a bell hanging from a tree, hence the name "plane tree".
The fruits of plane trees hanging on the branches are some one by one, some in pairs, and some in groups of three or five. So, people divide them into one-ball planes, two-ball planes, and three-ball planes.
Legend has it that during the Wei and Jin dynasties, Indian monks planted a three-ball plane tree, also known as the "Kumarosh tree", in Chang'an, China. Due to the dry climate in western China, plane trees are not suitable for growth, so they cannot be planted on a large scale.
Later, the British grafted a one-ball plane with a three-ball plane to create a two-ball plane tree. In the 17th century, the two-ball plane was planted in large numbers in Europe.
So, the two-ball plane was developed by the British, why is it called "Fa Tong" in China? It turned out that in the 20 th century, the French crossed the ocean and brought the two-ball plane to Shanghai, China for planting. Because it was brought by the French, the local Chinese called it "French Sycamore".
I see, this "Fawu" was originally surnamed "Ying".
Regardless of its surname "Ying" or "Law", and no matter who studied it and who brought it, "Fawu" (plane tree) carries the heavy history of Nanjing, and also spreads beautiful stories.
"A sentence of sycamore beauty, planted all over Nanjing City. "This is a tender love story about a plane tree.
It is widely spread among the people that Song Meiling loves the plane tree very much, and Mr. Jiang introduced 20,000 plane trees (plane trees) from France in order to please his wife, and there is a "plane tree" in Nanjing.
For love, in order to please his wife, he planted a city tree, and Mr. Jiang was also infatuated, so the "Fawu" (plane tree) was widely planted in Nanjing, and the sycamore necklace of the "Meiling Palace" witnessed this gentle and beautiful love. Fortunately, Madame loves the plane tree, what will happen if she falls in love with something other bad?
The beautiful love story adds a gentle touch to the plane trees (plane trees) in Nanjing.
It is well known that the plane tree (plane tree) in Nanjing was imported from France, which is beyond doubt. But it was not the "earliest", nor was it planted in large quantities. According to records, in 1872, French missionaries had planted the first plane tree (plane tree) in Nanjing, and it was only in 1929 that Mr. Chiang introduced it to his wife.
It can be seen that there are many reasons why Nanjing introduced a large number of French plane trees as street trees. In addition to Mrs. Jiang's liking, it may also be because of the beautiful shape of the "Fawu" (plane tree), the fast scenery and the suitable climate of Nanjing.
Today's Nanjing, the French plane tree (plane tree) planted in the early years has grown into a towering tree, with lush branches and leaves, covering the sky and the sun, especially in summer, it is particularly cool to walk below, and more importantly, it has become the beautiful scenery of Nanjing, the symbol of Nanjing, and Nanjing loves "fraternity".
Since ancient times, China has had poems with the meaning of sycamores: "Planting the sycamore tree attracts the golden phoenix", "The phoenix sings, in the high hill, the sycamore grows, and the sun rises in the sun". Nanjing people like the plane tree, and the plane tree benefits the people of Nanjing.
The canopy is tall and the leaves are lush, the sun is loved, the plant is easy and the soil is not picky, and the tree is beautiful and vigorous, and has a kind of solemn and cool natural beauty.
Walking on the streets of Nanjing, where the "Fawu" (plane tree) is vigorous, and seeing the grand scenery of "Wutong", the heart is open-minded. The trees and the city are embraced, beautiful and romantic. I felt not only the tenderness of the legendary love, but also the depth and depth of the city's rare cultural heritage.
Sycamore fluttering, flocculent like "snow", snow like flocculent. Nanjing, where the "snow" falls, the sycamores are verdant and the green waves are intoxicating, bringing people into the gentle and blazing summer dreamland.
About author:Liu Qinghua (Dahua), retired from China Railway, member of the Communist Party of China, senior political engineer, works for Xinjiang Hami Daily, Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Urumqi Railway Bureau.
Now he lives in Nanjing, and walks in Urumqi and Nanjing.