If nostalgia had a scent, the scent of Guinan must be camphor. Over a hundred years ago, an overseas Chinese Nanmalidu from Guinan and local villagers planted greenery on the southern slopes of Wugui Mountain in Zhongshan. Since then, carrying along a small bag of camphorwood became a unique habit for Guinan people when they traveled far from home.
Camphors witness the glory of Guinan. Many famous leaders of overseas Chinese come from here, like Xie Baoshan, the "King of Overseas Chinese" in Peru, and Gu Zhuolun, a gentry-merchant in Hong Kong. More than 70 years ago, overseas Chinese Gu Bingzuo from the U.S. initiated tree planting and forest protection activities here, which has become a commendable story.
Today, as the largest camphor forest in Zhongshan, hundreds of old camphor trees stand tall, lush and leafy, attracting returnees from around the world, drawn by its "fragrance".
Video | Li Shanheng, Ye Zhiwen, Zeng Yanchun, Lin Yuxuan
Translator | Zhang Yiwei
Editor | Lin Yuxuan, Will, James
