Huangshan Pine Faces Increased Climate and Tourism Pressure as Guards Step Up Patrols

Hu Xiaosong, the main 19th-generation bodyguard for the Guest-Greeting Pine on Huangshan, now inspects the 1,000-year-old tree every 30 to 40 minutes during severe weather and stays up all night with his team when strong winds or flooding occur. The pine grows out of solid granite rock at an altitude of more than 5,500 feet in Anhui province.

Hu has held the post for 16 years and normally patrols every two hours.

Eastern China recorded more extensive areas of severe freezing rain in 2024 and 2025 than historical averages, according to the China National Climate Center, which attributes the increase to climate change. Hu said the pine is most vulnerable to freezing rain because it can damage branches if not handled properly.

An intrusion prevention alarm system with an accompanying app was installed in 2020.

The system alerts Hu if a tourist comes too close, allowing faster response than before. NBC News last spoke with Hu in 2018. He said tourist behavior has improved since then and that high-tech monitoring has helped.

Visitor numbers to Huangshan surpassed 5 million for the first time last year. Mayors from 10 countries gathered in Huangshan last week to discuss protecting cities from climate change and overtourism. Dhana Raj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara, Nepal, said his city faces uneven rainfall, flooding, landslides and rapid urbanization.

Filippo Gasperi, mayor of Gradara, Italy, noted that his town of 5,000 people receives more than 500,000 visitors per year. He described the imbalance as significant. Anna Giorgetti of the San Marino-China Association said San Marino recently struck an agreement with BYD to expand electric vehicle use.