The plantation of Black Pine and Cherry Blossom in Qingdao before WWⅡ

Abstract

Abstract:This paper aims to analyze how Japanese Black Pine and Cherry Blossom were imported and planted in Qingdao. It turns out that they were firstly imported to Qingdao by the German governors from Japan, and planted on the hills, along the coasts and in the parks. As Qingdao was occupied by Japan in 1914, the Black Pine and Cherry Blossom were planted more widely on the hills, parks and even courtyards. What should be emphasized is that they were not merely planted as ornamental trees, but also used to symbolize Japanese culture. The Cherry Blossoms planted along the entrance path of the Qingdao Shrine and the monument built for the dead soldiers were considered as the reproduction of Japan's traditional landscape in Qingdao. That is why when Japan was beaten in the Second World War, the Cherry Blossoms planted in Qingdao were widely cut down and replaced by Cedar. While compared to Cherry Blossom, most Black Pines were free of cut down disaster and is widely used in Qingdao nowadays.