(Photo from Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Jinagsu Province)

Jiangsu is home to 6,201 ancient and historic trees and 28 tree clusters in urban areas across the province, according to the latest census data released by the provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The once-every-five-years census of ancient and historic trees in urban areas, launched in September 2023, has been completed. A comprehensive database with text and images has been established, providing vital support for the protection of urban landscaping and green resources.

Among the 6,201 trees, 192 (approximately 3.1%) are over 500 years old, 592 or 9.54% are between 300 and 499 years old, and 5,015 are between 100 and 299 years old, accounting for 80.88%.

Notably, 45 trees are over 1,000 years old, including 13 trees that exceed 1,500 years. They include seven ginkgo trees, four Chinese junipers, one Chinese parasol tree, and one Chinese scholar tree.

Jiangsu’s three oldest trees are a 2,220-year-old Chinese parasol tree and a 2,220-year-old Chinese scholar tree in Suqian, and a 1,800-year-old ginkgo tree in Nanjing.

Nanjing leads Jiangsu in the number of ancient and historic trees, with 2,082 trees, followed by Suzhou (1,603 trees) and Wuxi (545 trees).