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Blooming plum, messenger of the spring
en.hangzhou.com.cn   2022-02-17 15:22   Source:City Express

The Start of Spring (Chinese: 立春) is the first solar term of the year. This year it began on February 4th and will end on February 18th ushering in the warm spring.

Plum trees usually blossom from the 12th lunar month to the second month of the following year. As plum blooms in the cold winter time, it is highly praised in the Chinese culture and regarded as one of the four heroic plants with orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum being the others.

Plum blossoms usually flourish from the beginning of February to March. Now they have begun to sprout their buds. Once the weather gets warmer, the branches will be covered with yellow, pink, red, and white flowers.

Here are some recommended places to watch and smell the flowers.

Chaoshan scenic area

Hangzhou's Mount Chaoshan plums are a relatively rare breed with six petals compared to the normal five-petalled ones.

Chaoshan is one of the top three plum-seeing spots in the south Yangtze River area. More than 50,000 plum trees have come into full bloom in February, turning this area into a fairyland of shimmering flowers and permeating early spring aroma. The site also boasts two ancient plum trees planted in Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) and Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), respectively.

The annual plum blossom festival has kicked off there and will last until March 8th.

On the top of Chaoshan Mountain lays the name of the hill engraved on the cliff, "Chao Feng(Chinese:超峰)", a calligraphy work of Zhang Zongxiang, the third president of Xiling Seal Engraver's Society.

Address: Xiaobai road, Chaoshan village, Linping District

Ticket prices: 50 yuan, 40 yuan for Hangzhou residents

Opening hours: 8:00-16:30 everyday

Qianwang Temple

Qianwang Temple, initially built in 1077 along the West Lake, has become a popular site for wintersweets and plum blossoms enjoyment. The red buildings and walls in the yard are perfect background for the flowers and for taking ancient style pictures in hanfu.

Address: No. 11, Qianwangci Rd, Shangcheng district

Ticket prices: 15 yuan for adults, half-price for children, students and elders

Opening hours: 07:30 -17:00

Hangzhou Botanical Garden

Lingfeng area in the Hangzhou Botanical Garden is one of the "three most famous sites for plums" in Hangzhou, where over 5,000 plum trees of more than 100 species are planted. Besides the plum trees, bonsai plums are on display in the garden.

Address: No.1, Taoyuan Ling, Xihu District

Ticket prices: 10 yuan for adults, half-priced tickets and free admissions are also provided for different groups of people.

Xixi National Wetland Park

There are now over 20,000 plum trees in the Xixi wetland. A rowing dock has been added at the Meishu area this year, enabling visitors to row a boat across the plum forest. The combo tickets for Xixi National Wetland Park and Hangzhou Botanical Garden are sold online.

Address: No.518, Tianmushan Rd, Xihu District

Ticket price: 80 yuan for adults, half-priced tickets and free admissions are also available.

Author:Jin Yingying  Editor:Wang Jian
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