Chinese cities step up protection of endangered ancient trees

Cities across China are intensifying efforts to safeguard the nation's treasure trove of over five million ancient and famous trees, using innovative practices to preserve these living relics of history while unlocking their economic potential.

China's new Regulation on the Protection of Ancient and Famous Trees took effect on Saturday. According to the latest survey, there are a total of 5,081,900 ancient and famous trees nationwide. Local authorities are adopting innovative conservation measures, leveraging advanced technology to protect these "green legacies" and promote high-quality development.

In Jian'ge County of southwest China's Sichuan Province, the lush and vibrant Cuiyunlang corridor is home to 7,778 ancient cypress trees, some of which date back 2,300 years. To ensure their survival, the local government has launched a new round of restoration efforts this month, aimed to revive 576 endangered and vulnerable ancient cypresses.

"We are taking solid steps to rescue and revive endangered and weak ancient trees, striving to achieve full coverage of conservation within the year. Our goal is to breathe new life and vigor into these ancient treasures," said Tang Tianyong, director of Jian'ge County's Ancient Cypress Protection Center.

In Fuzhou, east China's Fujian Province, experts are using cutting-edge tools such as ultrasonic trunk detectors and radar root scanners to conduct comprehensive health examinations on over 10,000 ancient trees, establishing detailed electronic records for each one.

Meanwhile, in the Huangsang National Nature Reserve of Shaoyang City, central China's Hunan Province, efforts are underway to protect the largest wild population of Phoebe bournei trees south of the Yangtze River. Over 3,000 trees are being tracked for their dynamic growth patterns, and ancient trees over 800 years old are now equipped with sensors and health analyzers for real-time monitoring.

In Nanchuan District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, more than 700 ancient trees have been incorporated into a smart management platform, with tailored protection plans for each tree.

Conservation efforts are also yielding economic benefits.

In Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, the famed Kuaiji Mountain boasts more than 78,000 Chinese torreya trees aged over 100 years. The region has successfully balanced ecological conservation with economic development. In 2024 alone, Shaoxing's dried Torreya nut production reached over 12,000 tons, with nearly half sourced from ancient trees, contributing to an industry-wide output value of 2.66 billion yuan (about 312 million U.S. dollars).

In Tongyu County, Jilin Province, located on the eastern edge of the Horqin Grassland, local authorities are capitalizing on centuries-old elm trees to develop a cultural park, turning the natural asset into a popular tourist attraction.

Chinese cities step up protection of endangered ancient trees

China's two major power grid operators -- the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- reported a surge in investment in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring efforts to strengthen infrastructure construction and support high-quality socioeconomic development in China.

The State Grid said it completed fixed-asset investment worth 129 billion yuan (about 18.77 billion U.S. dollars) in the first three months of this year, up 37 percent the corresponding period of the previous year. The spending has driven more than 250 billion yuan (36 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across the wider industrial chain.

Key projects such as the Panxi ultra-high-voltage (UHV) alternating current (AC) line and the Anhui-Hubei back-to-back direct current (DC) project have seen ground broken for their construction, while several west-to-east power transmission projects have been upgraded.

Investment in connecting renewable energy generation to the grid was reported to have exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to March, a year-on-year rise of more than 50 percent.

The CSG also reported robust growth in investment in the three-month period, with fixed-asset investment reaching 38.45 billion yuan (5.58 billion U.S. dollars), up about 50 percent from a year earlier.

Among its achievements, the company completed and commissioned 80 key projects, including the 220 kV cross-sea power grid interconnection project, which was officially put into operation on March 20. The project ended years of grid isolation on the Weizhou Island in south China by linking it to the main power system of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The construction of 17 other major energy projects, including one linking the power grid of the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China with that of Guangdong Province in south China, is advancing rapidly. These projects are expected to bolster regional industries, the maritime economy, digital collaboration and the transition to green energy.

"By accelerating major project construction, investment during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) is expected to approach 1 trillion yuan (145 billion U.S. dollars), driving a further 2 trillion yuan (290 billion U.S. dollars) of investment across upstream and downstream industries," said Dong Yanle, deputy general manager of the Engineering Construction Department under the China Southern Power Grid.

China ramps up power grid investment in January-March to boost growth