1,400-Year-Old Gingko Tree Sheds a Spectacular Ocean of Golden Leaves

Once a year, this towering 1,400-year-old tree showcases a transition into fall in a spectacular way—its thousands of leaves change into a radiant shade of gold. Located within the walls of the Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple, in the Zhongnan Mountain region of China, this brilliant autumnal display attracts tourists from all over the world. As the leaves fall and create a vibrant ocean of gold, visitors leap at the opportunity to capture photos of the colourful carpet.

Thought to be planted for Emperor Li Shimin, the founding father of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), this famous tree draws in people from all over China. The gingko tree — also known as a maidenhair tree—is an ancient species that is native to China. Besides the magical yellow colour that it adopts in the fall, this particular species of tree is also wonderfully useful, serving as a source of food and equipped with various medical benefits that are recognized in traditional Eastern medicine.

This particularly impressive millennia-old Gingko tree is certainly popular, but as a species this tree is also widely respected for its wealth of benefits and ancient ties to the region.

Via My Modern Met, Colossal