Pictured here is one of the large old Banyan trees outside the Stanley Plaza. These historic trees were once common in the area but few remain. Located between the modern Stanley Plaza shopping complex and the behind the Tai Wong Temple it was originally preserved because it brought good feng shui to the temple, but now is just as much admired for the cooling shade it casts.
Large trees of this and other varieties are often found behind temples or traditional homes as being between a wooded slope and sea is seen as a auspicious position.
The large number of Aerial roots that hang down from the branches of the tree have merged together over time and formed extra trunks which makes trees of this type particularly robust and able to the withstand storms and high winds much better than single trunked trees.
