A 1,500-year-old lychee tree still bears fruit.

An ancient lychee tree in Sichuan province in southwestern China has revived, bearing fruit all over its branches after an 11-year absence.

A 1,500-year-old lychee tree still bears fruit.

An ancient lychee tree in Sichuan province. Video : ECNS

This 1,500-year-old lychee tree has a trunk diameter of 5.6 meters and a height of 16 meters. In 1958, experts determined that the tree was planted before the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). Its fruit was once offered as tribute to emperors. Despite the passage of over a thousand years, its branches and leaves remain lush and abundant.

In 2019, the Sichuan provincial government confirmed and declared this tree as a first-class ancient tree, subsequently adding it to the local protection list. The ancient lychee tree hadn't borne fruit for 11 years, so when it suddenly burst with fruit this year, the villagers were extremely surprised.

"We are very proud to have such an ancient tree with a long history. I really want to taste the sweetness of lychees from a thousand years ago," a resident of Sichuan shared. This is not the first time ancient lychee trees have been found in Sichuan; some others are over 1,270 years old.

Lychee ( Litchi chinensis ) is a tropical woody fruit tree native to southern China. It is an evergreen tree of medium size, reaching 15-20 meters in height, with alternate pinnate leaves. Lychee fruit is rich in vitamin C. It requires a hot tropical and subtropical climate with no frost or only mild winters with temperatures not falling below -4°C, and hot, rainy summers with high humidity. It thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic, and organic-rich (humus) soils.

An Khang (According to Global Times )

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