An elderly man's four-year-long efforts to rescue an old withered ginkgo tree ultimately got repaid by stirring public concern over the "living fossil", reports Changsha Evening News.

In his 70s, Li Dingzhong was a retired worker of a grain supply centre in Xiangtan City in Hunan Province.

In 1999, Li put forward an urgent proposal to the local government to save a 1,000-year-old ginkgo tree in his hometown, which suffered from maltreatment by some locals who were eager for instant benefits and sprayed large amounts of chemicals to make the tree more prolific.

Since then, the graybeard has devoted all his energy to protecting and nursing the valuable and rare tree. He collected more than 10,000 yuan (US$1,215) to care for the tree.

Now he has boosted the fervour among other locals who have spontaneously engaged in protecting the tree.

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