He who gains the fruits should be grateful to the tree.
He who drinks water should be grateful to the source.
Trees are the memory card of campus changes and witness to the passage of time.
Let's feast on the lush greenery along the young Cherry River and magnificent Liwa River.
11 March, in line with the coming of spring, a combined group of teachers and students at around 60 have planted 10 new Chinese tallow trees alongside the Cherry River at Guanghhua Road. Supplementing the springing up of new life on the campus, the activity is also part of one of the key initiatives in the university's afforestation project that seeks to incorporate green engineering technologies to make both sides of the river more environmental friendly.
The Chinese Tallow Tree is a deciduous tree - its leaves fall off at maturity - and the tree has alternating whorled patterns and heart-shaped slender leaves with a pointed tip. Because of its adaptive nature, these trees thrive in areas of strong seasonal temperature ranges with the leaves becoming a multitude of colors rivaling maples in the autumn. In the winter, wax-coated seeds resembling popcorn-like shapes hang from the trees.
Additionally, the logistical support department at ECNU will undertake the subsequent maintenance work, including fertilization, watering, trimming and reinforcement to ensure the trees’ sustainability.
As the saying goes, one sows and another reaps. In the case of ECNU campus, while it is in the midst of a high season to plant trees along the Cherry River, centenarian trees along the Liwa River are meanwhile waiting for their time to bloom again.
Four ancient maidenhair trees
There are four century-old maidenhair trees in Gumuqinghui, one of the most-famous eight scenic spots on campus. With luxuriant foliage, the trees remind us of the philosophical saying that it takes ten years to grow trees but a hundred to rear people. The trees, numbered 0436, 0437, 0438 and 0439, respectively, were included into the second-class protection list of Shanghai ancient and famous trees between 2002 and 2012. The oldest is 117 years old. The location is a must-go-to place for most students and nearby residents during the autumn and winter seasons.
Four ancient podocarpus brevifolius trees
The square in front of the No. 3 Hall is overlooked by the four podocarpus macrophylla trees portraying its solemn and respectful beauty to onlookers and ECNUers. Numbered 1606, 1607, 1608 and 1609, the trees were inscribed on Shanghai's second-class protection list of ancient and famous trees in 2004. They currently stand at approximately 115 years old.
Three plane trees
Three century-old plane trees on the riverbank in Shidayicun were listed as Shanghai's ancient and famous trees from 2001 to 2012. With serial numbers 1422, 1423 and 1424, the 118-year-old trees are second-class protected species.
107-year-old hackberry and wisteria trees
The hackberry tree, tagged No. 1425, and wisteria tree, tagged No. 1695, on the Xianfeng Road by the lotus pond, found their names on the list of Shanghai's ancient and famous trees in 2012 and are also under second-class protection.
As a testament to ECNU’s acclaimed natural environment, there are a half a dozen of trees that are nearly 100 years old along the Liwa River. Two podocarpus trees in Xiayufeiyan, for example, are one of the famous eight tourist attractions on campus. These trees are more than 80 years old and were put on Shanghai's protection list of backup ancient trees, numbered 07-016 and 07-017, respectively. Not far from them grows a hackberry tree, which is also inscribed on the same list.
