According to Hui-lin Li, the tree is not known to be cultivated by the ancient Chinese. The first records of cultivation of ginkgo in the Chinese literature come in the eleventh century during the Song Dynasty. It was then known as a rare and precious "fruit" of eastern China in a region south of the Yangtze River. Ginkgo seed was originally sent to the ancient capital of China, Kaifeng, as a tribute to the emperor from an area now in the southern part of Anhui province. Subsequently, cultivation commenced in the capital, then gradually spread to other areas. One Song Dynasty work Chun Chu Chi Wen (Zhun Zhu Ji Wen) mentioned that there were four large trees in the capital producing several bushels of "fruits" per year. The tree was called ya chio tzu, the earliest recorded name for ginkgo.

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