Tai Peng Whale Cypress: A rare spectacle in the world

"Tai Peng Whale Cypress" is located in Da Peng Village, Xiangjiang Town, Dayi County, and is one of Chengdu's "Top Ten Millennium Ancient Trees." Although it is named "Tai Peng Whale Cypress," it is actually a Podocarpus tree. This Podocarpus tree is over 2000 years old, with a DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) of 2.3 meters, a height of 18 meters, and a crown diameter of 20 meters. When a breeze stirs, the undersides of the leaves reflect a fluorescent color, resembling fish scales. Coupled with its pagoda cypress-like shape, it has earned the beautiful name of "Tai Peng Whale Cypress" and is also one of the ancient "Eight Great Sights of Dayi." In 2020, the Tai Peng Whale Cypress was named one of the "Top Ten Tree Kings of Sichuan Province." The Tai Peng Whale Cypress is currently the oldest existing ancient tree in the rural areas of Chengdu. It also has a significant reputation in the history of Dayi. The "Dayi County Annals" from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty recorded, "The Phoenix Whale Cypress on Phoenix Mountain, with a girth of ten spans, roots coiling over huge rocks, known as the Riding Whale Cypress," and was praised as a rare spectacle in the world. During the Qianlong era, the county magistrate of Dayi, Song Zai, inspected the Tai Peng Whale Cypress in person while compiling the county annals. He wrote the famous series of poems "Eight Sights of Jinyuan," which includes "Phoenix Whale Cypress": 'The purple cypress stands tall, ageless; the phoenix crosses over, through the evening mountain haze. In leisure, one gathers greenery and asks in spring, wishing to ride the whale to the ninth heaven.' This Podocarpus tree, hidden in the mountains and having withstood more than two thousand years of wind, frost, rain, and snow, remains lush and robust. From a distance, it stands tall and straight like a pavilion cover, or like a great Peng bird spreading its wings, with an upward soaring momentum, inevitably reminding one of the famous line by the poet Li Bai: 'The great Peng bird rises with the wind in one day, soaring up ninety thousand miles.' The massive trunk bears the marks of the years, clearly layered; the dense indigo leaves, after the baptism of time, remain verdant and lush. Since ancient times, people have expressed their devout worship and reverence for ancient trees. During the Tang Dynasty, monks built a temple here called Tai Peng Temple ('Tai Peng' indicating its immense size, surpassing that of the great Peng bird), also known as 'Phoenix Temple.' Whenever the locals came to pray for blessings, they would hang red cloth strips on this ancient pine in front of the temple gate, seeking the 'divine tree's' protection. Over time, the divine tree's fame spread far and wide. Through dynastic changes and village transformations, only the ruins of Tai Peng Temple remain, but the "Tai Peng Whale Cypress" still stands tall and lush. The ancient tree has sheltered generations of villagers, and the belief that 'all things have spirits, and ancient trees have spirits too' has been passed down from generation to generation. Protecting this tree has also become the responsibility and mission of successive descendants. Tip: It is recommended to drive yourself, navigate to Dayi Tai Peng Whale Cypress. The road is a mountainous country road, rugged, so drive carefully, but the scenery in the mountains is charming and worth appreciating. It is suggested to enter from Heming Town, continue past Tai Peng Whale Cypress, and exit in the direction of Xinchang Town. It's a small loop of more than twenty kilometers, enough to enjoy a whole day of sightseeing. Prepare some snacks and drinking water.