The Oldest Jintanzi Bonsai Legend: A 640-Year-Old Ming Dynasty Treasure in Chongzhou’s Yanhuachi Garden

In the heart of Chongzhou, Sichuan, inside the historic Yanhuachi Museum (which houses the Lu You Temple), a remarkable tree stands quietly to the left of the temple. Locally known as the “Jintanzi Tree King,” this ancient specimen of Diospyros cathayensis (also called bottle orchid) was planted during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1398).

Now more than 640 years old, it is widely regarded as the oldest and rarest Jintanzi tree in Sichuan. Interestingly, the first year of the Hongwu era (1368) coincides with the construction of the Zhao-Lu Two Worthies Shrine—the predecessor of today’s Lu You Temple—making this tree a living contemporary of the garden’s founding.

What makes this tree truly exceptional is that it is an original mother stump that still produces fruit naturally every year. Its form is both substantial and elegant: the trunk and branches display the classic iron-like, twisted, and weathered character prized in traditional bonsai. In autumn and winter, the branches are laden with round, orange-red fruits that glow like golden bullets and persist long into the cold season. The overall presence perfectly embodies the spirit and aesthetic of Sichuan-style (Chuanpai) bonsai.

Among all known cultivated Jintanzi bonsai specimens, this is currently considered the oldest. It is not merely a plant, but a living piece of history—an enduring legend that has witnessed more than six centuries while continuing to thrive with quiet dignity in one of Sichuan’s most celebrated classical gardens.