"What year is the camphor tree planted? The gates of the temple are full of smoke; the golden statue is set up, and the painted walls are covered with dust." According to folklore, the camphor tree symbolizes good luck and is a Feng Shui tree that can ward off evil spirits. Even

" The camphor tree was planted in what year, and the gates of the temple are full of smoke; the golden statue is set up, and the painted walls are covered with dust."

According to folklore, the camphor tree symbolizes good luck and is a Feng Shui tree that can ward off evil spirits, even in modern society with advanced technology. , and some areas still regard it as the key to affecting luck.

Especially in rural areas close to mountains and rivers where crops need to be planted, camphor trees can often be seen. For villagers, camphor trees are feng shui trees that can protect the harvest of the village and the safety and health of the people.

The reason why the camphor tree symbolizes longevity and good luck is that its lifespan is longer than that of other types of trees. Without the influence of natural disasters and human factors, the camphor tree can normally survive for up to a thousand years.

In Poshi Village, Kaoting, Jianyang City, Fujian Province, China, there is such a camphor tree that has experienced thousands of years of wind and rain. It has witnessed the changes and development of local social civilization over the past thousands of years.

And the most surprising thing is not only the life of this tree for thousands of years, but also the rare wonder of "tree hugging Buddha" formed by it . In the trunk of this camphor tree, there are A carved statue of a god whose appearance is clearly visible.

So how did this rare spectacle of " tree hugging Buddha " come about? And who put this carved statue in?

Thousand-year-old trees show wonders

Jianyang City is one of the five oldest counties in Fujian Province . It is rich in forest resources and is especially famous for its thousand-year-old camphor trees.

In Jianyang City, camphor trees can be seen everywhere. People in the whole city are particularly fond of camphor trees. As mentioned above, because they symbolize good luck and good luck, citizens regard them as Feng Shui trees and dragon veins. Tree.

In the local area, leafy camphor trees can be seen in the streets and alleys, but the most famous one and the one that most attracts tourists to come and see its true appearance is undoubtedly the ancient camphor tree that hides the carved statues of gods.

This camphor tree is located at the entrance of Paishi Village. It can reach a height of 36 meters, and its trunk is 10.5 meters in diameter. , with lush leaves, it is quite spectacular from a distance.

In the center of the trunk of the camphor tree, about 1 meter above the ground, you can see an obvious small hole, and in the hole, you can clearly see a lifelike sculpture of a god.

This statue looks forward. As long as you try to look into the cave, you will be able to face the eyes of the statue . If you are not mentally prepared in advance, you will definitely be shocked.

However, because the hole is too small to take the statue out, and only his face can be seen from outside the cave, but his whole body cannot be seen, so for many years, it has not been possible to determine how tall the statue is.

In this regard, some people said that since the statue cannot be taken out of the cave, how was it put in in the first place? Even just enough to expose your head?

In response to the public's questions, some experts have conducted research on this. They found that the trunk of the ancient camphor tree has no traces of artificial damage or repair, so the statue must not have been put in recently.

In this case, it may be that the camphor trees in the past actually had big enough cracks, big enough to easily put a statue of a god inside.

And with the passage of time, the cracks gradually healed as the camphor tree grew, and the hole became smaller and smaller, until finally only one head of the statue was exposed, thus forming the thousand-year wonder of "the tree holding the Buddha".

The "Tree Holding Buddha" in the Mahathir Temple in Thailand

However, these are just experts' reasoning. If viewed strictly, there is actually no actual basis. In addition, no one has speculated over the years. Who put this statue into the camphor tree?

In historical data, there are few records of this spectacle. The only thing that can be said to be related to it is the "Tree Holding Buddha" in the Mahathir Temple in Thailand.

Different from the thousand-year-old camphor tree in Fujian, the one in Thailand is Bodhi tree , and the statue held by the tree is not complete, but only has a Buddha head, which is wrapped by the thick roots of the Bodhi tree. On.

Although this scene looks very strange, it has corresponding historical basis.

Hundreds of years ago, Burmese attacked Thailand . They wreaked havoc when attacking the ancient city of Scotai. Among them, the real Buddha statue of "Tree Holding Buddha" was maliciously damaged by these people.

Because the Buddha's head was cut off and left unattended, as time went by, the roots of the Bodhi tree gradually wrapped around the Buddha's head, eventually forming the rare spectacle of "a tree hugging the Buddha".

This ancient camphor tree in Fujian has no traces of having experienced the baptism of war, and the statues are neatly placed in the small holes in the trunk. It is obvious that someone put them in, rather than being formed naturally.

As for who put it in, no one has been able to give a clear answer over the years. The only explanation is local legend.

Local people call this statue "General Lord" . According to legend, it was built to commemorate the local anti-gold general Xiong Anshang.

Xiong Anshang was a military commander who was deeply loved by the emperor Song Huizong . When he was an official in the court, it was a critical period of the Song Dynasty . The Jin army invaded and the country was in turmoil.

Although the Song Dynasty also raised many elite soldiers and generals, when the enemy came menacingly, these usually arrogant generals turned into cowardly turtles. Only Xiong Anshang was not afraid of danger and stood up. Come out and be willing to be the leader in protecting your home and country.

Lack of historical data to support

When Xiong Anshang was in power, he performed his duties conscientiously. While leading troops to fight, he also tried his best to stabilize the people's hearts. In order to protect the country for the emperor and the people to live and work in peace and contentment, he would eventually end up with his own life.

It is a pity that the Song emperor at that time was fatuous and incompetent, and failed Xiong Anshang's fierce loyalty. Not only did he fail to stabilize the situation in the court, but he accelerated the decline of the territory.

It was not until the Southern Song Dynasty period that Xiong Anshang was awarded a reward after the court stabilized a little. After that, there was a statue to commemorate Xiong Anshang in his hometown. It is said that this statue is the thousand-year-old camphor tree. of statues.

In addition, some people think that this statue is a tribute to Zhu Xi, because Fujian Kaoting is the key place for Zhu Xi's teaching and preaching. In particular, the statue is not dressed like a martial artist, but like a scholar. Therefore, this statement is more convincing.

But whether it is Zhu Xi or Xiong Anshang, these are just speculations. In fact, there is no corresponding historical data to support it. So until now, what does this statue represent and who put it in? There has been no clear explanation.

Conclusion

"The price of wine in Dachen is still well-known, and the camphor trees in Guzhou are parallel; when you wake up in the morning and think about it, the distant bells are already ringing."

In fact, it is not just camphor trees. Since ancient times, everything in the world has had human beings' desire for beauty. In hope, the camphor tree represents good luck and longevity, and the five-petaled plum blossom has the meaning of "the five blessings of plum blossoms", which can bring blessings.

Although there is still no reasonable explanation for the spectacle of a thousand-year-old tree holding a Buddha in Kaoting, Fujian, it does not affect the beautiful meaning it represents. After thousands of years, it has also witnessed the development of one era after another. and changes are of extraordinary significance.