Strolling along the stone-paved path of West Street in Jinhui Town, a gentle breeze sweeps through, and suddenly you find yourself immersed in a golden embrace. The ginkgo trees of Zhantan Zen Temple are now at their most enchanting moment of the year.

These trees are anything but ordinary. One female and one male stand tall in the temple's ginkgo courtyard, their roots having taken hold since the Southern Song Dynasty. Eight centuries of weathering have thickened their trunks to the point where it takes several people to encircle them, yet their branches still reach skyward with vigor, as if to cradle the flow of time. In late autumn, sunlight filters through the leaves, casting golden, foil-like shards of light onto the eaves of the "Universal Joy" mountain gate and the upturned corners of the Yuantong Hall, infusing the very air with a tender sense of antiquity.

Locals say these two trees have stood witness to the town's growth. Once, monks chanted beneath their branches; later, nuns swept the fallen leaves in their shade. Even weary travelers and merchants would pause to rest in the cool respite they offered. The lively bustle of Jinhui Bridge and the warm, earthy life of West Street - all are etched quietly within their ancient rings.

On rare occasions, the elderly would trace the patterns on the tree trunks and softly remark that these trees have seen tough times too. In the winter of 1938, when Japanese invaders' launches docked near the harbor, these trees silently bore witness to the town's gunfire and flames. It was the soldiers and townsfolk who staged a fierce ambush beneath these trees, quelling the invaders' arrogance. Though war's flames swept through the ancient town, these two ginkgo trees, through sheer resilience, endured and survived.

Now, when we look at them again, their leaves keep falling and re-growing, turning golden year after year. The ancient lanes, under careful preservation, are brimming with new vitality. These 800-year-old ginkgo trees still stand beside the Zen temple, bearing witness as Jinhui evolves from its historical role as a bustling commercial town to a modern haven that is both livable and inviting to visitors.

If you visit Jinhui, be sure to stand here for a moment. Run your fingers along the rugged tree trunks and pick up a ginkgo leaf, still warm from the sun. It is a gift from time, a memory of bygone years, and a testament to Jinhui's steady journey forward, blending the old with the new.