An amazing sight in the Xialu Village, Tuling Town, Quangang 
District, China, is the banyan trees growing at the top of two red brick 
chimneys of now defunct state-owned Hui'an Sugar Factory. The sugar factory 
built around 1960s had ceased working in 1980s, though the building was 
continued to be used for other businesses but the chimneys were disused. Around 
mid eighties locals observed small banyan trees on top of the chimneys. The 
foliage now has become quite large and can be seen from distance. The locals 
call these as "Chimney with Green Hat.
The two chimneys are about ten meters high and the banyan 
trees have never withered despite the dry seasons and have withstood both wind 
and the sun. As per locals there was a drought in the village for a year yet 
both trees were fine, and they grew more and more lush.
Banyan tree grows very easily in cracks or crevices on 
buildings. The seeds of banyans are generally dispersed by wind or fruit-eating 
birds. When the seeds germinate they send roots down towards the ground, and may 
envelop part of the building structure, giving banyans the casual name of 
"strangler fig". A typical example of such an strangulation are the temple 
structures in
Siem Reap, 
Cambodia.
 
 

View location in 
Google Maps 
/ 
Google Earth
Main source of info: 
fj.people.com.cn (In Chinese) (
English 
Translation)
Copyright: The images shown here have been copied from
en.people.cn 
and are Copyright © People.cn. Permission to use these images has been requested 
and same is awaited.
 
2 comments:
Wow, an amazing find. Keep up the good work.
This is very informative and very well written. In light of these times, we need more of these stories and photographs. Good job!
Post a Comment