Every March, Wuhan, Hubei Province's capital becomes a "city of cherry blossoms" and attracts tourists.
Cherry blossom has a long history of planting in China, and its geographical distribution is also very broad. Cherry blossom can be found almost everywhere from South China to North China to Southwest China. The climate and environment of different places are different, and the flowering time is also different. The cherry blossoms in Wuhan attract tourists every year because of their long historical background and cultural atmosphere.
Wuhan people's love for cherry blossoms has a long history. In addition to the cherry blossoms in Wuhan University and East Lake Cherry Blossom Park, the cherry blossoms can be seen everywhere in Wuhan's streets and alleys, riverside, in recent years and even in many communities. Welcoming spring under the blooming cherry trees has gradually become a habit of people in Wuhan.
The cherry blossoms in Wuhan University attract tourists every year because of their long historical background. /CFP
Wuhan University has a long reputation for cherry blossoms, most of which were given by Japan in the 1980s and 1990s to celebrate the 10th and 20th anniversaries of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. And some of the oldest varieties were given by Japan around 1970 when the two countries resumed diplomatic relations. These little flowers witnessed the history of struggles and renewals between China and Japan.
If the cherry blossoms in Wuhan University attract visitors because of their long history and the combination of cherry blossoms and ancient architecture, then the East Lake Cherry Blossom Park of Wuhan will allow visitors to enjoy the pure beauty of cherry blossoms in a more concentrated way.
There are more than 10,000 cherry blossom trees in the park. The first cherry blossom trees planted in the park were given to Deng Yingchao (1904-1992), the revolutionist and the wife of first China's premier, Zhou Enlai (1898-1976), by former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka (1918-1993), then Deng donated them to Wuhan. Also, most cherry blossoms were planted with a joint investment from China and Japan in 1998.
The night scene of the East Lake Cherry Blossom Park in Wuhan. /CFP
Different from Wuhan University, the park takes a Tang Dynasty (618-907) style courtyard as its main shape and also holds a special activity of cherry blossom appreciation at night so that visitors can enjoy the unique cherry blossom scenery at night.
According to the Hubei Provincial Meteorological Bureau, in 2021, the cherry blossoms at Wuhan will initial bloom in mid-to-late March, and full bloom at the end of March, and will end around 10-15 days after that, so visitors can choose a suitable date to visit.
During the cherry blossom season, Wuhan University is open to the public with a reservation limit. The public can make a real-name reservation three days in advance through the official reservation system of Wuhan University. Those who make a reservation can enter the campus with a valid ID card. As it is still under the condition of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, the daily reservation limit is 10,000 on weekdays and 15,000 on weekends.
The East Lake, Cherry Blossom Park, requires visitors to reserve tickets at the official platform to enter. Over the weekend, nearly 115,000 people visited the East Lake Cherry Blossom Park to enjoy the cherry blossoms, Changjiang Daily reported on Tuesday. It is the peak season for cherry blossom appreciation, and the scenic spot also reminds visitors to choose the off-peak time to enter the attraction.
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(Cover image design by Feng Yuan)