2020 Flower Viewing Season

Spring arrived in February, and I embarked on a 10-day journey through Shanghai, a solo traveler wit[...]

Spring arrived in February, and I embarked on a 10-day journey through Shanghai, a solo traveler with a budget of 10 yuan per person. My activities included photography, cultural exploration, free travel, hiking, and budget travel, all focused on saving money. The places I visited included The Bund, Shanghai, Zhouqiao, Old Street, and People’s Park. This travelogue was published on August 3, 2020, at 22:38.

The year 2020 was extraordinary, as humanity faced a novel coronavirus, a virus previously unknown to mankind. To combat this new virus, the country implemented isolation measures to reduce the movement of people and contact between individuals. During the Spring Festival holiday, which was usually a time for outdoor activities, it was impossible this year. People responded to the national call and consciously refrained from going out and gathering. I once drove past The Bund during the Spring Festival, where the usually bustling roads were now empty, with no vehicles or tourists, which was quite poignant.

I secretly thought that it was fortunate that the epidemic occurred in China, where people have strong self-discipline and a tradition of unity, which played a significant role in the fight against the epidemic, allowing us to control it quickly and effectively. If the epidemic had occurred in Western countries that value freedom and individualism, it might have been uncontrollable. Unfortunately, this later happened.

No matter what people encounter, spring still arrives on time as promised. If one cannot go out, then one can appreciate the spring scenery and flowers nearby. There are plenty of places to do so, as Shanghai has developed over the years, with more urban green spaces, denser roadside trees, and more beautiful leisure parks. Moreover, the greenery is well-maintained everywhere, with a variety of tree species. Nowadays, urban greening is very particular about the contrast between green and colored leaves, the combination of tall trees and shrubs, and the layout of trees and flowers. As long as one observes carefully, beautiful scenery can be found everywhere.

In early spring, the green spaces around us show delicate buds on the branches, reeds emerging from the soil in the ponds, and magnolia flowers covering the branches, heralding the arrival of a splendid spring. There are several green spaces around our residential area, and the planning of these green spaces is also very good. At this time, these green spaces all present a vibrant and lively scene of spring. Seeing such scenery immediately evokes the poetic imagery of Han Yu’s ‘The finest season of the year, with a victory over the willows that fill the imperial city.’

At the end of February, parks and green spaces were partially reopened. We drove on the Shanghai-Jiaxing Expressway to practice our driving skills and also took a trip to the old street of Jiading Zhouqiao. Upon arriving at the old street, the first sight to greet the eyes is the row of weeping willows by the river. These willows have already burst into new buds, their fresh green color a delight to the eyes. The slender willow branches cascade from the treetops, resembling a verdant waterfall. The tender green of the willow buds is endearing to behold. Long, green willow strands sway gently in the breeze, like the flowing locks of a maiden. What a splendid early spring scene it is. This view inevitably recalls the Tang Dynasty poet He Zhizhang’s ode to the willow: ‘A tree adorned in jade green, with thousands of strands of green silk hanging down.’

Accompanying the green willows are the old houses with pink walls and black tiles along the Zhouqiao Old Street, the towering ancient pagodas, and the quietly flowing river. The early spring in Jiading Zhouqiao Old Street is peaceful and serene, filled with an ancient charm. After enduring the trials of the pandemic for so long and the subsequent mental strain, the sight of the green willows brings a refreshing atmosphere and a long-awaited sense of well-being. Our spirits are lifted by this sight.

In March, the magnolia flowers have not yet fully wilted, and the begonias are in bloom. Begonias have now become a common species in urban green spaces and residential communities. Our residential area has quite a few begonia trees, planted among evergreen species. The begonia trees are generally not very tall, with pink petals adorning the branches, graceful and poised, like young maidens standing tall. Whenever the spring rain falls gently, the flowers and trees, washed by the rain, appear exceptionally fresh, with green leaves and red flowers, the begonias are particularly enchanting. One can instantly appreciate the tender beauty of ‘The begonia does not spare its rouge hue, standing alone in the misty drizzle.’ There are many places in Shanghai to admire begonias, with two parks near the city center that have a larger scale of begonias: one is the People’s Park in the city center.There are begonias that are somewhat scaled, planted neatly in rows and columns, orderly yet vibrant. Another place is the Daning Green Space. The scale of begonias at Daning Green Space is even larger. In the north of the green space, there is a vast area of undulating slopes filled with begonias, creating a vast expanse of pink, a sea of blooming begonias, gorgeous and passionate. Around the same time as the begonias, peach blossoms also bloom. The colors of peach blossoms are much richer than those of begonias, with pinks, whites, bright reds, and deep reds. Our country has a tradition of admiring peach blossoms. Influenced by this tradition, we have developed the habit of admiring peach blossoms every year. In previous years, we often went to Hangzhou to see peach blossoms, by the West Lake, amidst the lake and mountain scenery, in the gentle spring breeze, under the shadow of the green hills and pagodas, to appreciate the beauty of peach blossoms and willows. This year, due to the pandemic, it is impossible to go out to admire peach blossoms. Fortunately, there are also peach blossoms in the community, though not many, but they bloom brilliantly and brightly. They can also slightly satisfy the flower appreciation needs of those who are accustomed to it.

Under the building, in the flower bed, and in the sunlight, peach blossoms are in full bloom in the wind. Peach blossoms make the community more beautiful, and the building also sets off the peach blossoms to be more delicate. However, due to special reasons this year, there are fewer people enjoying flowers than in previous years. In previous years, there were always people around the peach blossom tree enjoying and taking pictures. But this year, few people stop in front of the flowers. Although the peach blossoms are brilliant, they are extremely lonely. There are very few pedestrians on the path in the community. This scene easily reminds people of the poem ‘The face is gone, and the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze’. Seeing these lonely peach blossoms, I also feel the same way deeply. So I wrote a few lines: The anti-epidemic period is uncertain, and there are few tourists on the path. But thinking of the beautiful spring scenery, don’t miss the time of peach blossoms. The blooming of peach blossoms shows the beauty of spring, the beauty of life, and the beauty of the future. Although the epidemic has affected people’s mood of enjoying the great springtime. But this is only a temporary phenomenon. The scene of ‘peach blossoms and human faces complement each other well’ will return to people’s lives in a short time.

In recent years, Chinese people have also liked to see cherry blossoms again. There is a cherry blossom forest in the garden opposite our house. The cherry blossom forest is not very large but also has a certain scale. Cherry blossom trees are planted on both sides of the walkway. The dense cherry blossom trees surround the long walkway, forming a cherry blossom corridor about 100 meters long. Most of the cherry blossoms here are late cherry blossoms. The flower color is deeper than that of early cherry blossoms, the flower shape is larger, and there are more petals. The trunks of cherry blossom trees are thick and the branches stretch out. When cherry blossoms are in full bloom, huge flowers are densely covered on the branches. The long branches hold light rose-colored flowers and sway in the wind, which is particularly elegant. Du Fu once wrote a poem saying, ‘At Huang Siniang’s house, flowers are everywhere, and thousands of flowers press down the branches low’. Huang Siniang’s house a thousand years ago can no longer be found. But the scene of ‘thousands of flowers pressing down the branches low’, which is full of flowers and wonderful, can now be seen at the doorstep. There is another advantage of enjoying flowers at the doorstep, that is, you can watch the whole process of flowers blooming and fading. In full bloom, cherry blossom petals are easily blown off. Even a gentle breeze can make the petals dance in the air and drift everywhere. This is the best time to watch the flower rain. I often sit idly under the cherry blossom tree during the day and savor the grace of cherry blossoms carefully. When the wind blows, the petals flutter up and down in the air, like countless colorful butterflies dancing, which is very wonderful. At late night, the wind is stronger and it rains quite a bit. What will the cherry blossoms be like after being baptized by the wind and rain all night? Early the next morning, I came to the cherry blossom avenue again and saw that most of the cherry blossom petals had fallen after the wind and rain. The walkway was covered with petals. The usually dark brown walkway has turned pink. Leaving people with the contemplation of ‘It’s a pity that after being blown down by the strong wind, the bright red pieces dot the mossy ground’. At this point, this yearThis year, the flower viewing season was not convenient for traveling far. However, it now appears that it is not necessary to go far to enjoy the blossoms. As long as one has the interest and the mindset to seek and discover beauty, beautiful scenery can always be found around you.

This year, we were caught off guard by a virus, but our country united as one and quickly controlled the epidemic. Life continues, and the bloom season will return again.

Life is always filled with poetry because poetry originates from life itself. The pursuit of poetry does not necessarily require going to distant places; it often accompanies us in our everyday surroundings.