Trees, like people, need water to survive and grow. The existence of a century-old tree on both sides of the river bank probably indicates that this place is suitable for human survival, and there are often ancient villages that are more than 100 years old in its vicinity. Once there are ancient trees in ancient villages and towns, it can also show that the ancient villages and towns are profound and full of vitality!
For example, in the Nanjing Yunshui Scenic Area in Zhangzhou, Fujian, there are eight 600-year-old ancient banyan trees on both sides of the river, and there are several large-scale Hakka tulou and villages around.
For example, there is an 800-year-old banyan tree by the river in Liujiang Ancient Town, Meishan, Sichuan, with a small pavilion next to it and a small bridge connecting the two banks.
For example, there are several hundred-year-old maple poplar trees overgrown with ferns by the river in the ancient town of Shangli, Sichuan, which confirms the humid climate here and also highlights the vitality of the ancient town.
In addition to visible surface water such as river water and glacial meltwater, an ancient tree may also rely on cloud water and groundwater from the mountains, or its own storage of rainwater. In general, the presence of ancient trees probably proves that there is no shortage of water here.
But the availability of water alone does not determine whether humans can live here for a long time. Human beings also need food and sunlight to survive, and they can't be too cold or too hot. The survival of the ancient trees also proves that there will be enough sunlight, the temperature will be right, and there will be water nearby.
As a result, humans can grow food in their vicinity, feed or capture animals, and generally do not have severe and extreme weather to destroy ancient trees and houses.
This article is excerpted from the book "Ancient Villages and Towns in Reading Time: Appreciating 150 Ancient Rural Towns from 30 Perspectives", all rights reserved.