The 42-year-old Hu is the tree's 19th guardian. Daily, on his shift he checks on the tree every two hours, all year long and it is the 12th year that he has been watching over the pine. He observes the bark, branches and crown tops.

"For me, the 'guest-greeting pine' is more than a tree, but a family member, whom I should take good care of," Hu says.

Every year, he lives in the mountain near the tree for more than 300 days. During the past 12 years, Hu has recorded the tree's condition in over 60 notebooks. He writes about the weather, wind direction and movement and monitors daily temperatures.

Besides these, Hu checks a litany of other things: whether the tree's support rods are secure, its lightning protection system in order, any traces of animal damage as well as other concerns.

If any issues are found, Hu immediately reports them to the authorities for further action.

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