The mystery of “the tree holding the Buddha statue”

Khao Dinh village (Fujian, China) has a very special old tree. This tree dates back thousands of years and has become a part of the small village, witnessing so much history and change, affectionately called the “sacred tree” by the villagers.

It is known that this ancient tree belongs to the camphor variety. Even after thousands of years, it is still lush and full of vitality. The tree is 36 meters tall, trunk circumference 10.5 meters, canopy area more than 900 square meters. Of course, these things alone cannot be called wonders.

The strange thing is that on the trunk of an old tree there is a small hole about 1 meter above the ground, as big as an adult’s fist. In the niche there is a Buddha statue, about 60cm high.

How can a Buddha statue fit into such a small tree hole?

Most of the theories about this secret are somewhat wild, of course unreliable for experts who believe in science. But when they tried to find out how the statue came to be placed in such a small tree hollow, they could not find a convincing answer. So what exactly causes this strange phenomenon? There is a local legend that may provide some clues.

Legend of a thousand year old tree

To find out the secret of the Buddha statue in the ancient camphor tree, experts sought out the oldest man in Khao Dinh village. According to him, the legend of the Buddha statue in the tree hole is related to Chu Hi.

Zhu Xi was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, politician and writer of the Song Dynasty.

Chu Hi statue in Khao Dinh village was built later

According to legend, Chu Hi once lived in Khao Dinh village, he taught the villagers to acquire many different knowledge, and was deeply respected by the villagers for his knowledge and integrity.

After Zhu Xi passed away, to commemorate his outstanding contributions, the villagers cast a Buddha statue symbolizing spiritual and moral values. However, due to lack of funds to build the temple, they had to find a special place to place the statue. Finally, they decided to place the Buddha statue in the sacred tree hollow in Khao Dinh village.

It is said that this old tree is located in the middle of the village, Chu Hi stood under this tree when teaching the young people in the village. At that time, the tree hole was very large, able to accommodate a relatively large Buddha statue, even if there was still room left.

Over time, the hole in the tree “heals” naturally and the tree continues to grow, making the Buddha statue look like it was “swallowed up” by the tree. This sight makes the thousand-year-old tree a unique local attraction, a witness to legends and history.

Decoding expert

Through the old man’s story, the expert grasped the key point, which was when he said: “When I was a child, I often curiously looked into the tree hole. At that time, it was much wider than now. I could clearly see the statue.” Buddha inside, but now the cavity is only the size of a fist. Perhaps in a few years, it will disappear forever.”

Accordingly, experts believe that this miraculous phenomenon is likely related to the growth process of ancient camphor trees. The tree’s growth rate is so fast that the bark may not be able to adapt to this rate. As a result, cracks gradually appear in the tree trunk. When the villagers saw the crack, they decided to put the statue inside to commemorate Chu Hi.

However, no one expected that as the tree continued to grow and get bigger, the new bark gradually wrapped around the existing crack, eventually forming a small cavity. This tree-hollow statue is surrounded by tree trunks, creating an astonishing sight.

The hypothesis may not fully explain this mysterious phenomenon, but it is also the most plausible explanation.

Of course, the reliability of the claim has yet to be confirmed, but this legend and attraction continue to attract countless tourists and scholars from all over to explore.

Today, the ancient tree in Khao Dinh village is known as “one of the most unique relics in China – The thousand-year-old camphor tree holding a Buddha statue”. There is also a local belief that whoever sees the Buddha statue in this tree hole will be healthy and peaceful.

Source: Sohu