The Imperial Tree is a renowned ancient ginkgo tree located within Tanzhe Temple in the western suburbs of Beijing. It stands majestically to the east of the Bilu Pavilion inside the temple. This tree is approximately 40 meters in height and has a trunk with a circumference of about 9 meters. Planted during the Tang Dynasty, it has a history of over a thousand years and still flourishes with lush foliage. It is said that a new branch would grow with each change of emperor in the Qing Dynasty and eventually merge with the old trunk. Emperor Qianlong officially named this ancient ginkgo the ‘Imperial Tree’. The tree has a graceful form with dense branches and leaves. It features a main trunk, three large secondary branches, two smaller main branches, and numerous small branches emanating from the base. To the west of the Imperial Tree stands a ‘Consort Tree’, planted during the Liao Dynasty. Unfortunately, both trees are male and cannot bear fruit. The temple is open all year round and accessible 24/7. Specific business hours are subject to daily opening conditions.
