Construction of an 11-story residential building in Yingkou, Liaoning province, has been halted to make way for a 60-year-old willow tree.

Construction of an 11-story residential building in Yingkou, Liaoning province, has been halted to make way for a 60-year-old willow tree.

Earlier this month, workers were reluctant to chop the big tree down after discovering it on the construction site.

Boasting a diameter of more than a meter and with a crown covering 100 sq m, it is a rarity in the saline alkali soil near Liaohe River, one of the country's longest.

Late last month, the land developer was ordered to move the building 20 m backward to accommodate the tree.

And the area around the willow will be turned into a park.

(Chinese Business Morning View October 6, 2008)