Yichang protects trees during infrastructure project

By Chen Zai.

On August 10, a Ficus virens marked "C9" stood green and healthy on Pinghu Peninsula in Xiling District, Yichang. It is one of 974 trees relocated from the Gezhouba area.

"C9" takes root in its new home on Pinghu Peninsula

Yichang is transplanting 2,265 trees in phases to make way for the Gezhouba dam shipping capacity expansion, part of the Three Gorges New Waterway Project. By the end of July, 974 had been replanted, including C9.

The 50-year-old C9 weighs more than 20 tons. Its trunk measures 92 cm in diameter at breast height, and its crown spans more than 6 meters. On June 10, after preparations to protect the tree, police and water trucks escorted it on a 10-kilometer journey to Pinghu Peninsula, where it was successfully replanted.
 

Lifting "C9" onto the transport vehicle.

These trees were planted in the 1970s during the construction of the Gezhouba Dam, and have since become part of the city's landscape and history. Landscaping authorities have documented each tree and developed individual care plans, including root protection, supplemental watering, shading, wind protection, and soil monitoring. The measures are intended to help the trees survive while preserving a part of Yichang’s local history.