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The tallest ancient camellia grows 1.38m in 25 years
According to Zhang Maoyun, the engineer and secretary of Camellia Association of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Li Duowen, the engineer and secretary of Camellia Association of (Wei Shan) Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Wei Shan Tourism Department have surveyed the ancient camellia. They found that the old tree in Wei Bao Shan Mountain has still been growing quite fast in these 25 years. It was 17.5 meters tall in 1984 and now it is 18.88 meters, adding 1.38 meters to its height.
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In early February 2009, the 400-year-old camellia was in its blossom period. Photo: Lu Jiliang. Source: Yunnan Flower Info Center |
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This old camellia stands out in the tranquil temple. Photo: Lu Jiliang. Source: Yunnan Flower Info Center |
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The tree is about 20 meters tall. Photo: Lu Jiliang. Source: Yunnan Flower Info Center |
Wei Bao Shan Mountain (巍宝山) is located in Wei Shan County. It is a National Forest Park and a famous Taoist holy mountain in China. The ancient camellia was planted inside the courtyard of Taoist Ling Guan Temple in the Ming Dynasty. It is a precious kind of camellia, according to tree experts. On February 23, 2008, Gregory Davis, the president of International Society for Camellia Science and other scientists have proved that the ancient tree is the tallest camellia in the world.
