A-choo! It’s all the fault of the cypress tree, but can we just cut it down?

Focus | Tears and tears are all caused by the cypress tree?

Recently on the Internet

There are a lot of videos circulating showing pollen flying in Beijing city.

Many netizens left messages with tears streaming down their cheeks.

“Why is there so much pollen in Beijing this year?”

"There is so much pollen from the cypress trees in Beijing.

Why can’t we cut them all off?”

…

In Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, cypress trees are dropping a lot of pollen, and visitors are walking with their noses covered (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Around 9:00 am on March 20

The reporter entered from the east gate of Beijing Temple of Heaven Park

Seeing pollen like smoke

Over the path leading to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The tree looks like it is "smoking"

The ground is covered with a layer of fallen pollen

Many tourists left their footprints

Many tourists wore masks and covered their mouths and noses.

About 9:40

Park staff drove a fog cannon to spray the cypress trees

However, as the wind increases

Pollen fog is floating over the park again

Cypress pollen is seen floating in the air at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing on March 20.

Strong winds blew pollen mist over the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, and the park turned on the lawn sprinkler facilities to deal with it (photo taken on March 21). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Visitors walk across a patch of ground covered with cypress pollen in Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

According to the staff of Temple of Heaven Park

To reduce pollen concentration

The park has high pollen concentrations on both sides of the main road.

The tourist area and cypress area adopt irregular

Clean water high pressure spray, spray flushing, etc.

Promotes pollen deposition

Cleaning up the pollen on the ground

In Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, staff members use a fog cannon to spray pollen-scattering cypress trees (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Workers spray cypress trees in Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park (photo taken on March 21). Xinhua News Agency

Workers spray flowering cypress trees in Beijing's Red Scarf Park (photo taken on March 19). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Workers spray flowering cypress trees in Beijing's Red Scarf Park (photo taken on March 19). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Workers trimmed flowering cypress trees in Beijing's Red Scarf Park (photo taken on March 19). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Some experts believe

As global warming

Increased carbon dioxide levels

Increased allergenic pollen production and prolonged pollen shedding period

Wind-pollinated plants such as poplars, willows, and cypresses

Releases large amounts of pollen in the spring

It has become an important cause of high incidence of allergies

In Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, cypress trees drop a lot of pollen (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Monitoring data shows

Since the winter of 2024-2025

Average temperature and sunshine hours in Beijing

Higher and more than before

Good for plant growth

Causes the onset and peak of pollen

4 to 7 days earlier than last year

In Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, cypress trees drop a lot of pollen (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

Increased pollen concentration

The number of people with allergies is increasing

Patients with allergy-related symptoms in hospital outpatient clinics

Significantly increased compared to usual

Zhang Luo, president of Beijing Tongren Hospital, said

The most effective way to prevent pollen allergies

No contact with allergens

Wear masks, goggles, etc. when going out

Take good protection

Patients with clear and severe pollen allergies should take medication promptly

On March 21, a patient waited for treatment at the Department of Allergy (Allergic) Reaction of Beijing Century Altar Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Chenlin

On March 21, a patient waited for treatment at the Department of Allergy (Allergic) Reaction of Beijing Century Altar Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Chenlin

On the streets of Beijing, a man wears goggles and a mask to prevent pollen (photo taken on March 21). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

"Cypress pollen is so serious,

Why is Beijing planting so many?

Can we just cut it off?"

In response to questions from many netizens

Beijing Academy of Landscape Architecture and Greening Sciences

Professor-level senior engineer Cong Richen introduced

The evergreen juniper is a long-lived tree species

It is one of the traditional greening tree species in Beijing.

Among the more than 40,000 ancient trees in Beijing

There are more than 35,000 pine and cypress trees

And the study found

Evergreen and deciduous trees at Beijing's latitude

The scientific planting ratio is about 3:7

If all are cut down , it will cause ecological and environmental problems

This is an ancient cypress tree from the Qing Dynasty in Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park. Pollen can be seen falling in the form of mist nearby (photo taken on March 20). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

A pollen protection sign at the entrance of the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing (photo taken on March 21). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

A tourist takes a photo of a flowering cypress tree in Beijing's Red Scarf Park (March 19). Xinhua News Agency reporter Ju Huanzong

To gradually improve the problem of excessive cypress pollen

Beijing has revised the "Catalogue of Major Forest Trees in Beijing"

Removed Juniperus (including Juniperus) plants

Future landscaping projects will

Strictly control the planting volume of relevant tree species

And scientifically update and replace allergenic tree species in key areas

At the same time, we are carrying out scientific research on pollen management

Breeding pollen-free or pollen-reduced plant varieties

Verifying the feasibility of artificially controlling the number of cupressaceae flower balls

Planning: Song Weiwei

Reporter: Ju Huanzong, Zhao Xu, Zhang Chenlin, Xia Ke

Editor: Lin Liping Qian Yilinge

Photo: Xinhua News Agency Photography Department

Spring allergies, wear a mask!