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Official Trees and Flowers
In the spring of 1987, delegates to the Sixth Session
of the Eighth Municipal People’s Congress, meeting in the Great Hall
of the People. Overwhelmingly approved the scholar tree and
oriental cypress as the official city trees, Chinese rose
and chrysanthemum as Beijing’s official city flowers.
The stately cypress symbolizes the courage and strength of the Chinese
people, their simple, and hard working nature and their defiance in
the face of aggression. This Platydadus Orientalis, or Oriental
Arborvites, can grow as tall as 20 meters. Some of those in Zhongshan
Park were planted as long as 1,000 years ago during the Liao Dynasty.
The scholar tree is a symbol of good fortune, joy and well–being.
Dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties Sophora Japonica were planted
extensively at the Tang Dynasty Imperial Palace in Chang’ an. At
Beihai Park an ancient specimen in the courtyard of the Painters
Corridor, is believed to have been planted during the Tang Dynasty,
before 907. Another ancient scholar tree near the Broken Bridge in the
Forbidden City is said to have been planted before 1125. Both are well
adapted to Beijing’s cold, dry winter, hot and dry summer, and
alkaline soil. The rose, a Chinese native, has been
cross–bred many times, but it still has half of the original Chinese
strain, Known as Perpetual Spring, Monthly Red, Snow Challenger and
Victorious, it is fast growing, regenerates easily and is graceful and
long blooming (May to October). The chrysanthemum has
many names and varieties. In Beijing potted chrysanthemums may be seen
year round. They flower in summer and fall naturally but can be forced
to bloom any time of year. During the Qing Dynasty,
there were 400 rare strains of chrysanthemum. Beijing’s flora–
culturists now boast more than 1,000 varieties. |
