Three old ginkgo trees, of which two are reportedly 930 years old and one about 210 years old, were photographed on Monday in all their autumn glory at Guanghua Temple in Beijing's Mentougou District. 

Tall and upright with luxuriant branches and leaves, the trees are hidden in a secluded valley outside Xiehejian Village by the northern slope of Jiulong Mountain. 

Standing 13 meters apart, the trees remind one of an ancient proverb: "When three men meet, one of them who is anxious to learn can always learn something from the other two."

Guanghua Temple was built during the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) and was once a famous Buddhist monastery in western Beijing. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was a popular place for the literati who left dozens of famous poems behind. 

These ancient trees have witnessed the changes in Chinese history, the rise and fall of the dynasties as well as the environmental changes. 

(Photos by Wang Yuqiang)

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