A Chinese painting depicts woodsman Wu Gang chopping a self-healing laurel tree in the Moon Palace. [file photo]

Woodsman Wu Gang chopping the laurel tree

In Chinese folklore, a woodsman was trapped in the vicious circle of chopping a self-healing laurel tree day by day in the Moon Palace. By some magical power, the huge tree is able to heal itself after each stroke.

It's his punishment for offending the Jade Emperor - God of the Heaven. He could only be pardoned after the tree was taken down, but it never worked.

Year after year, the tree still stood verdantly and sheltered the palace beside it.