Peng Dehuai saves tree
2022-11-17
After attending the sixth plenary session of the 8th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Wuchang, Peng Dehuai, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, vice premier and defense minister, returned to Hunan to conduct rural research on December 16, 1958. He arrived at his hometown of Xiangtan County for the first time after an interval of 32 years.
Due to the poor transportation at that time, Peng Dehuai and those who accompanied him made a detour and arrived at Huangjingping Village at around 9:30 on the morning of December 16, 1958. On getting out of the car, they encountered a few militiamen who were taking an old farmer towards Huangjingping Production Brigade. Peng Dehuai stopped them to ask what was going on. “This old man is against the ‘Steel Marshal’,” said one of the militiamen. “The old guy disrupted the Great Leap Forward (a social production movement conducted in China’s economic construction between 1958 and 1960) and opposed steel smelting. How evil! We will bundle him to the brigade,” another militiaman added. “I didn’t say making steel is wrong. I mean, the big tree by the bridge should be kept because it’s a rare species. In hot summer, it is also a good place to provide shade for passengers,” begged the old farmer who was at the mercy of them.
“I think that’s a sensible idea. If the tree at the end of the bridge is cut down, the passers-by will not have a place to enjoy the cool in summer.” Peng Dehuai frowned and said to the onlookers. He then came to Liuye Bridge with the old farmer. Several commune members were wielding axes to chop down the Chinese bishopwood tree, whose sap slowly seeped out from the bark. “Stop doing that! You know, such a big tree has been serving people for many years. Look, it is weeping over your act.” Peng Dehuai prevented them immediately.
In this way, the Chinese bishopwood tree experienced a narrow escape and has been preserved till today. The story of Peng Dehuai has also been passed down from generation to generation, and this tree is thus called the “Marshal Tree”.
