Huangshan pines are endemic to the yellow mountains of eastern China and famous for their strange shapes, reminiscent of dragons, tigers and other fabled beings. They grow on steep granite cliffs, peaks and ravines and their indomitable spirit to survive and flourish under the harshest conditions, makes them a symbol of vigour and vitality. Their crooked twisting branches are not just beautiful and fantastic, but have made individual trees with strange shapes famous all over China, both in paintings, as well as in mythology. The over 800 year-old Greeting Guest pine, is said to be the most painted tree in the country. The Couple Pine symbolizes eternal loyalty in love. It is said that one branch is Tang Xuanzong (an emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907)) and the other is his concubine Yang Guihui. Before their death, they promised to go to Huangshan together to be husband and wife in their afterlife.