A leading conservation group trying to save trees in tourist spots from damage has issued a 'code of tree appreciation', which it hopes will prompt people to take better care of their towering green neighbours.
The Conservancy Association wants to stop practices such as using wire to hang ornaments and birdcages from branches, covering the area beneath the canopy with concrete and bricks - which chokes a tree to death - and large numbers of people trampling the ground around the roots.
Burning incense around trees and carving initials and messages into the bark are also frowned upon.
The group's conservation manager, So Kwok-yin, said: 'It might not lead to imminent death, but such damage is irreparable and the scar will be there forever.'
Mr So added that the common practice of attaching metal wires or plastic wrap to branches damages the bark.
'The wire will become the weakest link in the branch as it cuts deep into the skin. And the impermeable plastic materials can make it difficult for the covered area to breathe and make it prone to rot,' he said.