In June 1933, writer Ba Jin (1904-2005) was boating on a river that runs across Tianma village in the Xinhui district of Jiangmen, Guangdong province. He was accompanied by two local friends who guided him to a marvelous nature scene called "Birds' Paradise" — a riverside banyan tree believed to have been thriving for over 380 years. The tree grew to be so massive that it looked like a small forest from afar, with hundreds of birds nestled within it.

Although the tree's vitality struck him, Ba Jin felt a bit disappointed because none of the birds came to welcome him.