Gnarled Pines
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Guest-Greeting Pine in Mount Huangshan |
Strange-looking pines are everywhere around Mount Huangshan. The great variety of strange shapes is a result of the mountain's unique landform and climate. The seeds of the pines are blown into the granite crevices where they take root and grow despite such adverse conditions as inadequate soil.
The terrain is so bumpy and uneven that the pines are unable to grow upright. Therefore, they grow sideways or even downward to take on shapes that may seem crooked but also artistic. Tourists may also be interested to find that many pines grow branches on one side.
Because of the harsh natural environment, a pine here may take a hundred or even several hundred years to grow to less than three meters tall and its roots may be several or even dozens of times longer than its trunk so as to hold the tree firmly in the ground.
Famous pines in Mount Huangshan include the Guest-Greeting Pine (in front of the stone lion of the Jade Screen Pavilion in the Jade Screen Scenic Area), the Farewell Pine (to the right of the Jade Screen Pavilion), Cushion Pine at Lotus Valley, Phoenix Pine at the Sky Sea, Chessboard Pine at Pingtian Stone Bridge, Kylin Pine between Bei Hai Hotel and the Refreshing Terrace, Black Tiger Pine and Sea Exploring Pine are among the most famous ones.
