Ancient trees at China's famous Mountain get digital ID cards

About 20,000 ancient trees on the renowned Mount Tai in east China's Shandong Province now have "digital ID cards" which will provide a range of information about the environment, condition of trees, climate, diseases and pests, official media reported today.

The digital ID cards hold basic information on the trees collected by a new monitoring and management system for ancient trees on the mountain, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Providing basic information and a real-time map of the trees, the system helps rangers examine the growing environment and conditions of the trees, and monitor physiology, climate, diseases and pests, the local scenic area management committee said.

The system can calculate whether a tree is healthy, weak or dying, while recording the harm a tree has suffered and the degree of any damage.

There are 18,195 ancient trees on Mount Tai, and 1,821 of them are classified as first-class ancient trees, which are more than 300 years old, particularly rare, or of historical significance.

The mountain is home to several famous trees such as a pine named "yingkesong" (literally guest-welcoming pine).

As a popular tourist attraction on Mount Tai, the over 500-year-old pine was put on the World Cultural and Natural Heritage list.

Mount Tai, one of China's Five Sacred Mountains, holds great historical and cultural significance.

Its peak is referred to as the "Jade Emperor Peak" and is approximately 1,500 meters above sea level.