Guihua Xiang, also known as the Osmanthus Lane, in Chengdu saw their prized trees of three centuries old chopped overnight for a reconstruction of the road.

The unexpected move was met with deep regrets from businesses and residents in the area. Local officials placed the blame on the construction unit for cutting the trees on their own accord, claiming the trees were supposed to be replanted.

Even state media Xinhua News Agency criticized the officials for failing to meet their responsibility in lower management. Some construction projects were outsourced without any quality control follow-up, while managing departments lack knowledge about the actual construction, hence unable to take preventive measures. Some corporations cut corners and did not think on behalf of the population, it reported.

A citizen, Wong, was shocked by the scene before his eyes when he arrived at his workplace in Osmanthus Lane in the morning on Sep. 7, according to a cover story. “It totally ruins the view,” said Wong, whose colleagues all agreed it was a huge pity.

The 300-year-old Osmanthus Lane holds great historical values as one of eleven hutongs where soldiers from the Manchu ethnic minority group lived during the Qing Dynasty. Less than 1,000 meter long, the lane was lined with snack shops, tea houses and small businesses. Blossoms of the sweet-scented Osmanthus trees in Autumn was one of Chengdu’s iconic views.

Now there are only stumps at where the trees once stood. Branches scattered on the ground and trucks arrived to remove the trunks. According to a hardware shop owner, the chopping lasted over three days since the weekend and no department has notified residents of the move.

The Park City Construction Bureau of Chengdu Management was reportedly responsible for the construction. Yet the officer-in-charge said the Bureau is only responsible for major roads and small lanes such as this one is managed on a district level.

The Chengdu Qing Yang District Park Urban Construction and Urban Renewal Bureau responded on Sep. 7 evening, saying the trees were to be replanted for a construction project and the view would be restored when the project was done. The 20 trees were cut down by the construction unit on their own accord, the statement stressed.

Netizens were displeased with the explanation. “Osmanthus trees grow very slowly. Most cannot survive being chopped in half. Even new trees will take another ten years to grow this big,” one commented.

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