What Exactly Is the Character of Spring? Yunxi Tells You
Lao She said, God gave the art of summer to Switzerland, spring to West Lake, and autumn and winter all to Jinan. I originally loved the rotation of these four seasons, yet I couldn't resist the spring breeze's call, couldn't endure the long winter and summer, and got drunk in the brief spring light. I hibernated in winter to bloom in spring; I stored energy in winter, longing to release it in spring. If you want to find a city full of spring after the New Year, my hometown Yunxi would definitely be on the list. This small city in northwestern Hubei seems to be sheltered by the towering Qinling Mountains and nourished by the thousand-mile Han River. A spring breeze passes, greening both banks and stunning the world. Valleys, stone bridges, and streams adorn my hometown in March.
March in my hometown is graceful. The Book of Songs describes willows: "When I left here, willows shed tear; now I come back, snow falls thick and slack." After experiencing the four seasons, I still remember the day I set out, with willows swaying gently in the wind. I don't know when the tradition of planting willows in my hometown began, but in my limited years, I've seen that every newly built city road is lined with poetic trees—some are feather-light mimosa flowers, others are blooming roses vying for fragrance. But I love best to walk under the tall willow trees.
The willows in my hometown mostly grow by the riverbanks, making the flowing water lively too. On a day when spring is at its peak, I walk along the Zhiyu River to the north of the city, exploring the "Willow Bridge Spring Crossing." Along the way, willows cast shadows, new and old bridges connect the two banks, pedestrians move slowly on the bridges, and water flows gently under them. Look at those willows: no matter how old and cracked the trunk, or hollow and decayed, together with the new branches born in this spring, they write the story of hardness and softness, withering and flourishing, change and succession, rebirth after decline. Thousands of strands, like a long-haired maiden, green willows sway, filling spring with green. Most people love the warm spring breeze because it is neither annoying nor dry. When willows meet the spring breeze, they dance without being showy, adapting to fate, graceful and charming.
March in my hometown is romantic.
I used to think that water towns were best matched with Jiangnan. But my hometown, located deep in the Qinba Mountains, along the Tianhe River, has unexpectedly nurtured a beautiful Tianhe Water Town.
The water town tour follows a red walking path built along the mountain. On the left, the mountain slope is planted with colorful grass flowers of various colors, and on the top sits the legendary old stone peak symbolizing the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Climbing the steps, one explores the wonders of nature. On the right, the river is the Tianhe River, clear and transparent. Leaning on the railing and looking down, green water plants sway gently at the bottom; in the distance, flocks of white geese change formation in the water; a group of egrets soar in the sky or play on the waves, unafraid of tourists on both banks.
In March, this place is also a breathtaking scroll. The cherry trees on both sides of the path are similar in height and thickness. Tempted by spring, their flowers bloom. Among worldly flowers, when it comes to richness, the peony stands out: "Only the peony is truly national beauty, when blooming it shakes the capital." The Tang dynasty poet used the peony to represent the nation's beauty, unmatched by any other. When it comes to purity, white cherry blossoms are the most stunning. I love the poem "Yesterday snow like flowers, today flowers like snow" and am deeply captivated by the flower language "No one else but you." Don't be obsessed with whether it's snow falling or flowers blooming—when they are in full bloom, clusters and clusters dye the branches white, without a trace of other colors, pure and clear.
At this moment, the red carpet extending underfoot meets the blooming cherry blossoms, like a fair-skinned beauty in a red dress walking slowly. As I walk, romance comes—the flowers know.
A scene that cannot remind you of any other scene is a scene truly worth cherishing. This kind of scene falls in spring, only in my hometown, fixed in my heart.
Photo by Xu Jun | Written by Jin Pu | Edited by Xiao Feixian | Layout by Yuxi | Preliminary review by He Lei | Final review by Zhang Wenjing
