[1]For all you Lord of the Rings fans, here’s a tree-t! An ancient tree in southern China has been saved from being cut down — why? Because it looks like a mythical creature called an Ent, created by J. R. R Tolkien, author of Lord of The Rings.
Ents are tree-like giants, according to the book and film, who protect trees from anyone who tries to cut them down. So, superstitious foresters refuse to cut this tree that looks very similar to a character known as Treebeard in LOTR. Treebeard gave refuge to the Hobbits when they were being chased by evil forces.
Fantastic as it may sound, this superstition seems to be based on fact. A forest worker who climbed up a ladder to trim the branches of the tree fell off it and broke a leg. Another worker, who was on his way to Nanning City to take over, met with a car accident and had to be hospitalised.
According to a colleague, people now fear the tree and don’t want to even go near it. Another reason why the tree isn’t going anywhere is that it has sparked the interest of visitors who seem keen to have a look at the mystical giant.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/who2jpg-439