In Korla City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, early spring and late summer are two important occasions for people from home and abroad to treat their eyes and taste buds with famous Korla fragrant pears.

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, located in the west of the Taklamakan Gobi Desert, boasts a dry climate with hot summers and cold winters. The abundance of sunshine and huge difference in temperatures around the year allow this area to produce sweet and juicy fruits, hence it is famous for fruits like the grapes, honeydews, and pears.

Korla City has a history of about 2000 years of cultivating pears. Starting from the Silk Road era until now, this special and tasty fruit continues to bring fame and wealth to the city. The local people proudly describe it as the "City of Pear."

Since 2007, growing pears has become the first industry for the local people of Korla, with the cultivated area expanding at the rate of 202,343,000 square meters annually. Widespread pear plantation not only enables local people to sell more fruits for more money, but also decorate the city with millions of tiny, white flowers. Every spring, thousands of tourists visit the city to witness the sea of pear flowers, and taste fragrant pears at the end of summer.

From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rain forests hidden in the southwest of China, all boast an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most iconic flora in different provinces and see how they live in harmony with the local climate and topography.

China's Flora Tour: Pleasant purplish red flowers on roadsides

China's Flora Tour: Fine jade flowers

(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Jia Jieqiong)

(Video via VCG, edited by CGTN's Xu Chenlu)

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