How researchers proved that a Tibetan vine is 416 years old
A grapevine on the mountains of Tibet has been certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest wild living vine ever documented, aged 416 years old, after Chinese scientists used ring analysis and a suite of physical measurements to verify its age.
The plant grows near Zuoba Village in Zogang County, at an altitude of about 7,900 feet. Standing about 26 feet tall with a trunk diameter of more than two feet, the vine was first flagged during a citywide survey of ancient and notable trees in Changdu. Its unusual size and age prompted a closer look by specialists at the Wood Science Research Laboratory of Southwest Forestry University.
Field teams began with standard botanical documentation, which included mapping the vine’s footprint, photographing growth form, and recording dimensions such as height, basal diameter, and girth. Following this, researchers turned to ring analysis.
Deputy Director of the Institute of Fruit Trees at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dr Wang Haibo, told Guinness World Records that finding a wild grapevine over four centuries old at an altitude of 2,400 metres is a testament to nature’s patience and life’s resilience.
Guinness World Records certified the vine in September, after reviewing the scientific documentation, site details, and methodological notes, and confirming it to be 416 years old.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
