Have you seen those breathtaking aerial photos of a solitary ginkgo tree in a courtyard, its leaves creating a perfect golden carpet of fallen leaves? This isn't just any tree—it's a 1,400-year-old living witness to history, standing tall within the walls of China's Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple.

While its stunning autumn transformation goes viral online each year, the story behind this magnificent being remains largely unknown to Western audiences. Why was this particular tree planted at this particular temple? Could it really have been placed there by Emperor Taizong himself, one of China's most celebrated rulers? Why are ginkgo trees so special?

Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this famous ginkgo tree and explore its remarkable connection to the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.

Guests
Professor Ruihong Di
Northwest University
Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

Peter Del Tredici
Urban Ecologist and Botanist
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
Boston, MA
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide

Reader
Wiley Wang
Machine Intelligence Engineer
Palm Springs, CA
"Traditional Folk Tale of Gu Guanyin Temple" edited by Doug Still

Music
"Farewell at the Yangguan Pass," traditional, Tang Dynasty
Xiao-zhong Wu soloist
People's Association Chinese Orchestra
1992 Yellow River

Other References
The Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success, Chinghua Tang, Scribner, 2017.

Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot, Peter Crane, Yale University Press, 2013.

Photo Credit
FlyOverChina, Xinhua News Agency

Theme Music
Diccon Lee, www.deeleetree.com

Artwork
Dahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/home

Website
thisoldtree.show
Transcripts available.

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We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone’s voice memo app and email to:
doug@thisoldtree.net

This episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators.
litartsri.org