These young plants represent the latest success of the efforts made by the Taishan management committee in protecting ancient trees. The project has collected seeds from 30 heritage trees, including the 16 UNESCO-listed specimens, to safeguard their genetic legacy.

In the courtyards of the Dai Temple, there are five towering cypresses, recorded by ancient books as being planted by Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) during one of his visits to the mountain. The five cypresses are named Han cypress after the dynasty when they were planted.

Today, they stand surrounded by their own "children", seedlings cultivated from their seeds.

One of them, known as the Interlocked Han Cypress, tells a story of resilience. Its twin trunks, one 10 meters tall and the other 12.5 meters tall, spring from a single root. The cypress has survived lightning strikes and fires for over 2,100 years. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) sanctified it with a painting and inscribed it in a poem.

"We collected its seeds in autumn, nurtured the seedlings at the cultivation base, and brought them back at a proper time," said Li Xiufen, pointing to a seedling planted close to the Interlocked Han Cypress.

Last year, eight seedlings of Han cypresses cultivated by the committee were sent to Maoling Mausoleum in Shaanxi province — the resting place of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

"It is a homecoming," Li said.

"These trees he originally planted will now guard his tomb anew," she said.

To encourage global participation in protecting Taishan Mountain, one of China's five sacred mountains, the committee has launched a digital platform through which the public can adopt a tree.

"We protect the mountain, as well as the trees on it, like we take care of our children, but we benefit more from it," said Li.

"You see, when visitors look up into the big ginkgo, they can feel the history and the culture of our nation," she said.

Duan Zhuoyan contributed to this story.

zhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn