Dong Feng, He of the Apricot Forest
Because Dong Feng owned a large piece of abandoned land, all he charged for patients were tree-planting after they recovered. One apricot tree from a kernel for a minor disease. Five apricot kernels for the most severe disease. After several years, his patients established an apricot forest with 100,000 trees. Dong Feng let people pick apricots by themselves during the harvest season, as long as they dump an equal volume of grains to his barn. The doctor ended up with enough food to support his family. He donated the surplus to feed poor neighbors and travelers in financial difficulties.
What a great example of sustainable charity with everyone to participate! The doctor was willing to help people without charging a fee. The patients kept their promise to plant the apricot kernels. Apricot kernels grew into trees and bore fruits without care because Dong Feng’s hometown had the perfect weather for them. A good doctor made thousands of people regain health, so he was rewarded with tens of thousands of trees. People supported Dong Feng’s apricot-for-grain exchange by picking apricots from his forest, and they honestly picked just enough weight of apricots for the grains they submitted.
Another legend associated with this story was that a tiger in the apricot forest helped people follow the honor code. The tiger, once wild, first visited Dong Feng after a large splinter got into its mouth. Dong Feng removed the splinter, saving the tiger from dying from starvation. After recovering, the tiger chose to live in the apricot forest. For those who came to steal apricots, the tiger would chase them until they dropped the fruits. Legends also say that the tiger was so brilliant that it would leave the thieves with only the exact amount of apricots that they should take.
Dong Feng was a legendary figure in Chinese history. People suspected that he was a deity as a result of his successful Taoism practice. Legends said he performed Taoism magic when he was in danger, pretending dead, then he escaped. His age has been a mystery. There was a note that he looked in his 30’s for at least half a century, and no one knew how he died or if he ever died.
The Chinese pronunciation of “apricot” rhythms “幸” (good fortune) and “信” (faith). The legends of Dong Feng only inspired more admiration towards apricot trees throughout Chinese history. Numerous poems and paintings praised its blossoms in early springs. Apricot fruits are not only eaten fresh but also preserved with sugar and salt. Preserved apricots, sweet and sour, are essential snacks for tea ceremonies. There are two kinds of apricot kernels. The edible species, called “southern apricot kernel” or “sweet apricot kernel”（Prunus armeniaca L.）is a nut that brings a unique aroma for desserts. The non-edible species called “northern apricot kernels” or “bitter apricot kernel” (Prunus armeniaca Linne var. ansu Maximowicz) is commonly used in Chinese medicine to cure coughing after processing the kernels to get rid of its toxicity.
My maternal grandma was from the hometown of Dong Feng, a southern Chinese city between the ocean and mountains. One of my childhood memories was juicy apricots twice the size of apricots from elsewhere. Now I live in Southern California, thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean from my beautiful hometown, but it does not prevent us from preserving traditional Chinese values in this land of freedom. In 2011, we planted an apricot kernel in our front yard. Before we realized it, that kernel grew into a tree, blossomed, and bore fruits in the fourth year. Dong Feng, his apricot forest, and the tiger are some of my favorite stories with my children.
Photo Credit: "Apricot Blossom" by Sylvia Wang
This is lovely. Sent it to a friend.
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