Nyssaceae deciduous trees, also known as “water pear”. Their exotic flowers have two sheets of white bracts, just like the wings of a dove, so they are called “the dove trees”. Endemic to China, they are relict species of Tertiary ancient tropical flora. They are world famous ornamental trees, found only in Xingshan County, Hubei Province.

China had a large stone industry in Neolithic times. As early as 4500 BC, people on China’s east coast employed fine polished stone axes and knives. The working of jade was an extension of this. Jade was used for beautifully coloured and prestigious versions of everyday tools.

From then on, it became the background music in CCTV Weather Forecast, and has been loved by Chinese people ever since. As the most familiar music of 1.3 billion people and constant running for twenty-six years as background music, it is perhaps the world’s longest running TV program background music.

In Chinese culture, “nobody dislikes too many gifts”. Gift-giving is one of the best channels to maintain good relationships. This principle applies to personal as well as business relationships.

Gifts could also be non-material. A Chinese proverb says, “To walk a thousand li and present a swan feather; the gift is light but the friendship is solid”. It means the value of a gift lies in the giver’s good will and mind, rather than the value of the gift itself.

My favorite tree. My home town is the “second hometown” to this beautiful species. Taxodiaceae large deciduous tree, endemic to China and the world famous relict plant, known as “living fossils”. Natural distribution at the border between Hubei, Sichuan, Hunan. In the Cherry Vale of Beijing Botanical Garden, there are a spectacular Metasequoia forest that you can rarely found in north China.