It's the best time to enjoy ginkgo again. Have you punched in Huishan ancient town?

A very old children's song: once upon a time, there was a mountain and a temple in it ... the actual version of Huishan ancient town in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province is very similar. Huishan, Wuxi, was named "the first mountain in the south of the Yangtze River" by Emperor Qianlong. At the foot of the mountain, there is Huishan Temple, one of the "four hundred and eighty temples in southern dynasties". Every year in late autumn, when the colorful trees in nature change color, Ginkgo biloba in Huishan Ancient Town becomes the best viewing spot for autumn appreciation.

There are many places where ginkgo trees are planted in Huishan ancient town, but there are roughly three places that can be called "the best". These three places represent the history, culture and unique scenery of the ancient town, and the ginkgo trees planted in these three places are all old, and the shortest trees are over 400 years old.

The ancient ginkgo in front of Huishan Temple is the oldest tree in the ancient town, and it is also the earliest planted, and is known as the "king of ginkgo in the ancient town". It was planted in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, namely 1368- 1398, with a history of more than 600 years. According to legend, in the early years of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty, Master Xing Hai of Huishan Temple personally planted 18 ginkgo trees in front of Daxiong Hall, symbolizing the eighteen arhats in Buddhism. After years of change, there is only one ginkgo tree 18 left.

According to folklore, the 18 ginkgo tree planted in that year was divided into two rows, which gradually extended from the front of the Datong Hall of Huishan Temple to the entrance of the temple, so later generations used to call it "Hongwu Ginkgo". The only remaining ginkgo tree is 2 1 m high and nearly 2 meters in diameter at breast height. Because of the lush foliage, the trunk can no longer bear the weight of the crown, so now two steel pipes are used to support the huge branches of Hongwu Ginkgo.

This ancient ginkgo tree numbered 002 is also a monoecious ginkgo tree. Ginkgo trees are divided into male plants and female plants, and female ginkgo trees can only grow ginkgo fruits after receiving pollen from male ginkgo trees. Generally speaking, ginkgo in front of Buddhism only grows male ginkgo trees. The ginkgo tree in front of the Datong Temple in Huishan Temple has a miracle that has not been seen for hundreds of years. 1982, the king of ginkgo actually produced seven ginkgo fruits, which caused a sensation in Wuxi. But more than 30 years have passed, and Ginkgo King has never had a result.

This 600-year-old ginkgo tree is the latest ginkgo tree in the ancient town. It gradually turns yellow in the middle of June165438+1October every year, and usually enters the best viewing period around June165438+1October 25th. There can't be strong winds and heavy rain during this period. If the winter rain comes early, more than half of the ginkgo leaves on the trees will fall overnight. It is expected that the "Ginkgo King" will all turn into yellow leaves next week and enter the best viewing period of the year.

The second best place to enjoy ginkgo biloba is the ancient ginkgo biloba in the ancient town of Gukejiu ancestral hall. Gu Kejiu, a native of Wuxi in the Ming Dynasty, was an official in Guangdong. Perhaps most people don't know him, but when it comes to his student "Harry", he is famous. The Gukejiu ancestral temple in the ancient town was built by Hai Rui in the fourth year of Qin Long in Ming Dynasty (AD 1570).

Gukejiu Ancestral Temple is a large-scale ancient building in Huishan Ancient Town. The ancestral temple is located in a secluded alley in Huishan ancient town, and it is also an alley connecting the straight street of the ancient town and the lower river pond next to Sitang Jinghe River. The alley is paved with stone slabs, with the tall white courtyard wall of the ancient town ancestral hall on both sides, while the trunk of a tall ginkgo tree in Gu Kejiu ancestral hall is in the yard, and the crown covers half of the yard and half of the alley. When ginkgo turns yellow, half of the yellow leaves fall in the yard and half dance in the deep alley, which is very beautiful.

The ginkgo tree in Gu Kejiu's ancestral hall is over 470 years old. Later generations speculated that it should have been planted in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, and it was probably transplanted from other places after the completion of Gu Kejiu's ancestral temple. Gu Kejiu's ancestral temple has the beauty of Jiangnan classical gardens. In late autumn, with the blessing of Ginkgo biloba leaves, its charm in Jiangnan is getting stronger and stronger. It is often seen that when the yellow leaves are covered with alleys, some people sketch and draw pictures here. This ginkgo tree has begun to turn yellow and will enter the best viewing period next week.

The third good place to enjoy ginkgo biloba is the Zhangzhongcheng Temple in the ancient town. Zhangzhongcheng Temple is located in the middle of Xiuyan Street in the ancient town, and the locals also call it "Zhanglaoye Temple". Zhang Zhongcheng, whose real name is "Zhang Xun", was born in Hedong (now Yongji, Shaanxi) in the Tang Dynasty. During the "An Shi Rebellion" in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xun led his troops to defend Suiyang (now Shangqiu, Henan Province) against the rebels. Finally, he died because the city was broken. In the ninth year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1496), the then magistrate of Wuxi specially built Zhang Zhongcheng Temple at the foot of Huishan, with the purpose of Zhang Xun's unyielding loyalty.

Historically, this temple of Zhang Zhongcheng has been built and destroyed repeatedly. The ancestral temple that people see now was only restored at the beginning of this century. However, two ancient ginkgo trees over 400 years old in the courtyard of the ancestral temple have miraculously survived and become a unique landscape in Zhang Zhongcheng Temple. These two 20-meter-high ginkgo trees are flourishing and cover the ancient stage under the sun.

Usually, the yellow leaves of ancient ginkgo in Zhangzhongcheng Temple start late and end up at the latest. But this year is an exception. Starting from this week, the ginkgo in the temple turns yellow first, and the ground is covered with yellow leaves, attracting tourists to enjoy it every day. Moreover, Zhang Zhongcheng Temple and Gu Kejiu Ancestral Temple are both free places. When enjoying ginkgo biloba, it is the most crowded place in the ancient town almost every day.

Ginkgo biloba in Huishan ancient town enters the viewing period from the end of 1 1 month every year. In the absence of bad weather, the best viewing period of ginkgo biloba can last for about ten days. The weather forecast predicts rainy weather in Wuxi next week. I hope there will be no heavy wind and rain, so that people can enjoy the best ginkgo scenery this year.