Man and nature The nature of the camphor tree

Mondo Science Updated on 2024-02-01

Exclusive article by China's well-off network.

Text|Dai Rongli.

Seeing the reincarnation of the sun and the moon, the replacement of personnel, and more than ten generations hurriedly passing by, the camphor tree is still standing on the land of Jian'ou, which cannot but be said to be a miracle.

When you go to Jian'ou to see Beiyuan Gongcha and Jianzhan, you can't help but see a camphor tree close to the tea mountain. It was a camphor tree growing at the head of the village, looking at it from the front, it was tall and mighty, and when you looked closely, it was already old. To the back, there are several holes in the camphor tree, which have been eroded, and the leaves are still luxuriant, and a thick branch that creeps out into the distance has been lifted by the locals with an earthen pillar, and the new seal on the pillar should have been built in recent years;There is an old house next to the big tree, with melons and fruits, obviously the tree is offered as a god.

In rural China, the pattern of worship of ancient trees in the east, west, north and south is different. In many mountainous areas in the north, there will be many tourists tying red silk on the old big trees, and the older the tree, the more it looks like this. The four seasons in the north are distinct, and the old tree is more rugged and black in appearance, more like a samurai. In the south, the winter is warm, and the old trees are also warm, and if you don't look closely, you will misunderstand the age of the trees. I asked a few locals how old is this camphor treeMost don't know. Later, when I climbed behind the tree to look, I saw that the nameplate of the tree was engraved with the age of 310 years. I only felt that the camphor tree was old, but I didn't feel that it had lived so long. Year after year. The camphor tree grew into an admirable appearance. Based on the calculation of 100 years and 4 generations, this camphor tree has survived 12 generations. Seeing the reincarnation of the sun and the moon, the replacement of personnel, and more than ten generations hurriedly passing by, the camphor tree is still standing on the land of Jian'ou, which cannot but be said to be a miracle.

This camphor tree, more like a fat man with a wide heart, is like suffering from cerebral hemorrhage and bedridden, not at all as bright and upright as other ancient trees, and even, in front of it, you will smell a rotten smell from a long time, but this camphor tree stubbornly survived. It understands the replacement of nature and sees through the life and death of the world. The camphor brothers who were planted together left this world one by one. It is the only one who lives alone.

Living at the head of the village, next to a mess of gravel and a ditch not far away, the camphor tree's seemingly unintentional choice may have made its own. The camphor tree grows into a bloated and unformed appearance, generations of village people, want to kill it, build a house as a pillar is not good, dissolve the board to make furniture is not in the middle, in the eyes of everyone, it is an unformed camphor tree. Perhaps it was its ugliness, crookedness and uselessness that protected itself, this camphor tree, which survived the ridicule of generations. New leaves still appear in spring, and yellow leaves still fall in autumn. In the summer, it is used as a shade for passers-by, and in the winter, it is used as a target for passing children. Perhaps there are naughty children who will break off the branches of the camphor tree and weave a green straw hat to confuse passers-by. The camphor tree smiled and said nothing, living year after year at the edge of the village. watched the grandpa of grandpa die one by one, and watched grandpa grandpa's grandson grandpa be born one by one. Many borers saw the freedom of the camphor tree, burrowed into its aging body, and gnawed at the aging camphor tree little by little. The camphor tree is getting old, and the hole is getting bigger. The camphor tree doesn't care about any of this, it still sprouts in the spring, green leaves in the summer, yellow face in the fall, and sleeps peacefully in the winter. The camphor tree is not as lucky as the ancient tea tree, the older the ancient tea tree is, the more expensive it is, like the old pedant, the older it is, the more it will win the admiration of everyone. Many people know how to protect the ancient tea tree, but the old camphor tree does not have such luck. It was still alive naturally, breathing freely, sucking the water from the ditch freely, and even having no resentment against the moths in the hollows of the trees.

Finally, some villagers discovered the antiquity of this camphor tree, and there were wanderers who went out to caress the camphor tree and cried, it seems that the camphor tree has become the only living life that has witnessed the changes of the village for hundreds of years. Huts were built next to the camphor tree, and people set up offering tables and offered the camphor tree as if it were a god. The branch, which hung to the ground, was also supported by the good Samaritan. The camphor tree still grows freely, as if nothing had happened. Its body was covered with moss, the water in the small ditch was still flowing intermittently, the leaves were still green and yellow, and the old camphor tree was still looking freely at the head of the village.

A writer who is inclined to urban architecture, an engineer who is passionate about philosophical thinking.

Year after year. The camphor tree grew into an admirable appearance. Based on the calculation of 100 years and 4 generations, this camphor tree has survived 12 generations.

Moderately Prosperous", China Well-off Network Exclusive Article).

This article was published in the late December 2023 issue of Xiaokang.

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