When Do Ginkgo Trees Turn Yellow? Best Viewing Period and Recommended Viewing Locations

The ginkgo tree is a large deciduous tree, reaching up to 40 m tall. It is a high-quality tree species whose fruit is edible, whose leaves are ornamental, and which can be used for landscaping.So when do ginkgo trees generally turn yellow? When is the best viewing period? What are the viewing locations?

1. When do ginkgo trees generally turn yellow?

1. Time of yellowing

Ginkgo trees generally begin to turn yellow in October in autumn, but because of differences in north-south geographical location, growing climate, altitude and so on, the timing of the yellow leaves also varies to some extent.

2. Yellowing process

Generally, ginkgo leaves begin to yellow from the edges in October, and as time goes on the leaves gradually turn completely yellow. At this point the tree full of yellow leaves is truly beautiful. By late November they begin to fall, but the ground covered in gold, like a “golden avenue,” also has its own special charm.

2. When is the best viewing period for ginkgo trees?

The best ginkgo viewing time also differs from place to place, for example:

1. Beijing

The best ginkgo viewing time in Beijing is from the end of October to early November.

2. Xi'an

The best ginkgo viewing time in Beijing is from early to mid-November.

3. Changsha

The best ginkgo viewing time in Changsha is later than in Xi'an and Beijing, generally from early November to early December.

3. What are the ginkgo viewing locations?

1. Beijing

(1) Ditan Park

Every autumn, ginkgo is one of Beijing's famous sights, and the Ditan Park Ginkgo Avenue, as a well-known ginkgo avenue in Beijing, attracts numerous visitors. Ditan Park is located on Andingmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It was first built in the ninth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1530 AD) and is also called Fangze Altar. It is the second largest of the five altars of the ancient capital Beijing. Ditan was the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the “Emperor Earth Deity,” and it is also the largest surviving altar for worshipping the earth in our country.

(2) Sanlitun

On East Fifth Street of Sanlitun in Beijing, every autumn the tall, luxuriant ginkgo trees on both sides of the road turn brilliantly golden, and this place becomes a fairy-tale world. The golden ginkgo leaves, the guards in olive-green uniforms, and the buildings with exotic style together truly form a scenic line of unique artistic beauty.

(3) The Forbidden City

When autumn comes and the ginkgo turns yellow, the Forbidden City becomes beautiful as the Purple Forbidden City. Ginkgo is a very beautiful ornamental tree species, especially in autumn, when the leaves all over the tree turn golden yellow. When ginkgo yellow leaves meet the red walls of the Forbidden City, the Forbidden City becomes even more beautiful! When a tree of yellow leaves sways like a waterfall beneath the red walls and carved beams and painted rafters of the Forbidden City, those little golden fans become even more noble and gorgeous. Under the deep blue sky, sunlight passes through the golden yellow leaves, and the leaves shine, sparkling like stars beneath the red walls and yellow tiles.

2. Changsha

(1) Yuelu Mountain

Besides viewing maple leaves, ginkgo is also one of the highlights of Yuelu Mountain. At Yunlu Palace on Yuelu Mountain, a thousand-year-old ginkgo was planted, and it has a history of more than 700 years so far, which is to say this tree was planted during the Yuan Dynasty.

(2) Martyrs' Park

The ginkgoes in Martyrs' Park are mainly distributed near the north gate, at Hongjun Ferry (century-old ginkgo), behind the Shishan Steamed Bun Shop, and inside the Xiaoxiang Rare Stone Museum (admission 20 yuan)

(3) Fengtian Village, Dahu Town, Liuyang

On a small hill in Fengtian Village, Dahu Town, Liuyang City, there are 3 ancient ginkgo trees, all more than 35 m tall. For the largest one, when 6 people join hands around it, the people at the two ends are still about 50 cm short of being able to touch hands. Local residents say the “age” of these 3 ancient trees is all around 4,600 years.

3. Xi'an

(1) Hanyangling Ginkgo Forest

As a national archaeological site park, the scenic area of Hanyangling includes a ginkgo forest made up of tens of thousands of ginkgo trees, which can be called one of the top ten beautiful sights of golden autumn.

(2) Ancient Guanyin Zen Temple

Inside the Ancient Guanyin Zen Temple in Luohandong Village, Chang'an District, Xi'an City, there is a ginkgo tree with a history of 1,400 years. It is said to have been planted by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, with his own hands.

(3) Hanyangling Museum

Hanyangling is the joint burial cemetery of Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, and his empress, Lady Wang, buried in the same tomb garden but in different grave pits. The more than 100 mu and more than ten thousand ginkgo trees planted at Hanyangling have, after years of growth, already formed a certain scale. Especially in autumn, when the ginkgo leaves fall, at a glance the whole garden is golden.

Now is exactly the best time to view ginkgo. Friends who like ginkgo and enjoy taking photos may as well go on holiday to the various ginkgo viewing spots in their area to enjoy the view.