Photo story: guardian of Greeting Pine in Huangshan Mountain

Hu Xiaochun arranges his "Pine Diary" in the Huangshan Mountain scenic area in east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 25, 2021. Huangshan Mountain, one of the most famous scenic spots in China, is a UNESCO World Heritage site in east China's Anhui Province and a world geopark. Greeting Pine is a famous landmark in Huangshan Mountain. The tree, growing out of the rocks with a long branch extending over the mouth of a cave, got the name mainly because it appears to be greeting anyone who arrives at the scene. It is believed to be between 800 and 1,000 years old. To protect the tree, the local government has introduced a system of designating guardians or rangers for patrolling the tree around the clock. The first guardian was appointed in 1981. The tradition has been going on ever since. Hu Xiaochun is one of the guardians of the Greeting Pine. In 2010, Hu took over the post from his predecessor. He patrols around the Greeting Pine every two hours, observing subtle changes in branches, leaves and bark, as well as the supporting frames and cables. Hu records the tree growth data every day, and the temperature, humidity and wind speed. His "Pine Diary" now has more than one million words. In order to facilitate his work, Hu has learned a great deal about meteorology, insectology and botany on his own over the years. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu)