The highway bureau in Ding'an, Hainan province, has offered a reward of 1,000 yuan ($153) for information about damage caused to 162 trees along a highway, Hainan Special Zone Daily reported on Thursday.

The staff of the highway bureau found that trees flanking the 1.5 km long Dingnan highway had been deliberately damaged, with bark stripped off.

Yang Guotong, deputy director of Ding'an highway bureau, said it was clear that someone had deliberately damaged the trees, which would lead to most of them dying.

"Highway trees are state property and deliberate damage will be punished by law," Yang said.

Zheng Yumeng contributed to this story.