Green group raises concerns over safety of temple banyan tree

Burning incense and the paving of nearby ground are likely to blame for the poor health of a giant Chinese banyan tree outside Yuen Long's Tin Hau Temple, according to environmental group Green Power.

The group said it was concerned the tree could pose a danger to the public if left unattended.

Branches that fell from another banyan, the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree in Tai Po, injured visitors in 2005 and a young woman was killed when she was hit by a section of coral tree that gave way in Stanley last year.

The Tin Hau tree stands within the temple's boundary, near Tai Shu Ha Road East.

Its deteriorating condition was spotted through a comparison of recent photographs with ones taken in July 2007.

'After a visit last week, we found that the leaves of some main branches of the tree were wilting, although new leaves were emerging on the other branches,' the group said. 'Some branches had even shed all their leaves. The health situation of the tree has severely deteriorated.'

Group members found the tree could have been affected by smoke from fireplaces and shrines placed underneath it for people to burn incense and paper money. The group said the heat and pollutants might have affected branches above.