Cable tunnel makes way for century-old tree in China's Wuhan

This photo taken on Oct. 31, 2022 shows the view of Qingshan Park in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

WUHAN, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- If a century-old camphor tree hinders the construction of a key cable tunnel in a metropolis, what would happen? Central China's Wuhan City gave its answer -- rerouting the project.

The construction project, which was set to build an underground tunnel used for laying electricity cables near a Wuhan transportation hub, originally planned to transplant the tree, which is more than 100 years old.

"The original plan may have put the tree at risk of death," said Yu Tao, the project head of CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Company Ltd., the tunnel's constructor. "We decided to revise our plan by moving the tunnel more than 10 meters away from the tree."

Although the redesign has increased the cost of the project and shifted the underground tunnel much closer to an overpass, posing more difficulties for the construction process, workers have tried their best to overcome challenges and to ensure that the tree is not affected, said Wang Lei, a member of the company's technical personnel.

The camphor tree is now being hailed as a symbol of the growing awareness of environmental conservation in China.

After the electric power project is completed, the construction site will be repurposed into a pocket park with an area of nearly 5,000 square meters. It will become a pleasant hangout for nearby residents.