Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    A PARK will be built in Pingshan New Area to protect ancient trees, the area’s urban management bureau announced recently.

    A recent survey found 153 ancient trees in Pingshan, including many varieties that are common in Guangdong Province, such as banyan, camphor, longan and mango trees.

    Nearly 20 of the trees are older than 200 years, and eight others are between 80 and 99. The oldest one is 362 years old.

    The survey showed that most of the ancient trees are in good condition, but longan trees are more likely to have problems such as pests, parasitic plant damage and deadwoods, the bureau said.

    “Although most of the ancient trees in the area are being taken care of on a regular basis, it is not enough. More advanced measures will be introduced to protect the trees and environment in the area,” a bureau official said.

    Pingshan is planning to build a protection park in Xialiao Village in Kengzi Subdistrict, as the village has the area’s largest number of ancient trees.

    According to Shenzhen regulations, organizations or individuals can be fined up to 20,000 yuan (US$3,242) for cutting or transplanting ancient trees without approval, and can be jailed for serious violations.

    Meanwhile, to offer further protections for ancient trees, the city’s urban management bureau is preparing a new regulation on afforestation management. The draft regulation states that organizations or individuals will face fines of 200,000 to 500,000 yuan for cutting or damaging ancient trees. The regulation is expected to be reviewed by the city’s legislature later this year.