I am orychophragmus violaceus, but you can call me by my nickname: Chinese violet cress. You may hardly notice me when there are only one or two flowers growing by the side of the roads, but when you go to the Beijing Olympic Forest Park during spring, and see a purple cloud of my blossoms, you'll be amazed at the vitality and romance I am able to create.

Whenever I look at my surroundings from under the tree, the scenes in the park are always touching: Families picnicking on the lawn with joy and laughter on their faces; people jogging along the tracks, their every footstep solid; and the disabled who enjoy outings in the wheelchairs… I am familiar with the warmth and enjoyment on their faces.

I love to watch people hanging out in the park. The parks are the green hearts of the metropolises, where people do exercises, relax and spend time with loved ones.

The natural landscape, the capacious space and the sunshine all attract people to the parks, but a barrier-free design allows everyone to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Those designs have taken into account everyone's demands from the very beginning, which demonstrates the humanization of the city. In another word, it is the barrier-free designs that make the city parks warmer and more tender.

Those designs are invisible sometimes. When you are in the park, enjoying the scenery and the leisurely moments, listening to the chirps of the insects and birds, you might not be aware of the existence of the barrier-free designs. But they are the ones that make the whole process perfect. Just think about the easy to find information, the resting spaces, the road signs and guideposts… They are the silent keepers that secure the convenience and safety of every visitor.

Welcome to the park, and please come and meet me here. While enjoying the “purple cloud” of flowers, and listening to the breaths of nature, I am sure you can easily get the same kind of inspirations for great writers. And I am sure you will one day find out the tenderness and warmth that the designers wanted to convey to you.

(Cover image designed by Gao Hongmei)