Pine tree in memory of Dr. Sun Yat-sen

cctv.com 03-12-2005 11:46

Saturday is also the 80th anniversary of the death of Doctor Sun Yat-sen, the forerunner of the Chinese revolution. Much is written about him... but few people may know of his links with the origin of tree-planting day.

This tree was planted by Dr. Sun in 1912 to commemorate those who died in an uprising against the then feudalist rulers. Located in the Huanghuagang Park, it is the oldest masson pine in the south China city of Guangzhou and it still grows well due to lots of rain and protection. As Dr. Sun always stressed the importance of the development of forestry, the then Chinese government decided in 1925 that March the 12th would be the tree-planting day in his memory. Then, in 1979, the National People's Congress -- China's top legislature -- passed a resolution to officially designate the date as national tree-planting day.

Editor:Chen Jie  Source:CCTV.com