The Most Beautiful April in the World: A Spring Rape Flower Date in Xinghua

The most beautiful April in the world, the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom, all kinds of insects and birds sing joyfully, and willow trees are dressed in green. April has neither the slight chill of March nor the heat of May. Arriving in Xinghua, walking through the vast fields of raised platforms (duotian), a gentle breeze brings the fragrant scent of rape flowers, refreshing the mind and heart. Each rape flower blooms freely under the sunlight, set off by green leaves. April is also the season when various flowers bloom; everywhere you can see flowers smiling in the spring breeze, each vying for beauty. The sun shines on the ridges, and the endless fields sway with the beauty of spring. This scene made me linger and forget to leave; what impressed me most in Xinghua was that sea of rape flowers. People often say that the most beautiful spring is where there are rape flowers. When it comes to enjoying rape flowers, one cannot miss Xinghua's Qanduo rape flowers, one of the world's four major flower seas. This is the season when the rape flowers fill the garden. This is my second time visiting Xinghua to see the rape flowers. Overlooking from above, as far as the eye can see, it's a golden yellow expanse. Zheng Banqiao and Fan Zhongyan Memorial Hall – feel the city's cultural atmosphere. Arriving in Xinghua, a city with a profound cultural heritage, I learned that the famous author of "Water Margin" (one of the Four Great Classical Novels) Shi Nai'an, Zheng Banqiao (leader of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou), and many world-renowned literary giants and painters came from here. To understand a city from ancient to modern times, you can visit the Xinghua Museum. At the entrance, you see a statue of Zheng Banqiao. The first floor displays the history of Xinghua, the formation of duotian, and the rise of salt boiling. Answers to historical and geographical questions about Xinghua can be found here. The second-floor Zheng Banqiao exhibition hall explains the origins of his people-oriented thought and its influence on later generations. There are many beautiful calligraphy and paintings worth seeing. Another exhibition hall tells the story of Shi Nai'an's life. The famous genius Zheng Banqiao, though not tall from his statue, was the leading figure of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou." He was a polymath: calligrapher, painter, and writer. He was a very important figure at the time, also very famous locally. The entire exhibition area is about him, including praise and commentary from later generations. It's worth taking time to understand him and the Xinghua of that era. Next, we passed through a small gate beside the museum to enter the Xinghua County Government Office (Li Garden). The most famous part is the boat-shaped hall (Chuan Ting) seen as soon as you enter. Hidden behind the Xinghua Museum, Li Garden is a well-preserved private garden built by salt merchants from Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty. The highlight of Li Garden is the core structure "Boat Hall." This small garden is very quiet, with ancient trees and fragrant flowers. Going deep into it allows you to fully experience the ancient Jiangnan style. Li Garden connects directly to the Xinghua County Government Office, where Qing Dynasty county magistrates held court, and Fan Zhongyan once worked here. The two stone lions at the gate are original relics, standing weathered and worn. Notice the heads of these stone lions; they are completely different from what you usually see. Their heads look like monkey heads, very interesting. After visiting, there is a building next to it called the Four-Archway (Sipailou), a landmark of Xinghua built in the Ming Dynasty. From a distance, it looks like a pavilion with eight flying eaves, and "secrets" are hidden inside. As soon as you walk in and look up, you can't help but exclaim: 47 plaques hang layer upon layer on top of the archway, very spectacular. These plaques honor outstanding figures in Xinghua's history; each one tells a story of Xinghua. Zheng Banqiao's Former Residence of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou: A clean and elegant garden. Zheng Banqiao was a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu, and the leading figure of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou." The residence faces south and has eight rooms in Qing Dynasty folk house style: white walls, black tiles, orchids and bamboos rustling, and a quiet courtyard. Inside are displayed a bronze-colored statue of Zheng Banqiao, reproductions of his calligraphy and paintings, and his daily utensils. Small calligraphy and painting exhibitions are held irregularly to promote Zheng Banqiao's artistic achievements. In summer, the lotus leaves in the pond were a lush green; now only still water remains. This is the "elegant room" described in Zheng Banqiao's couplet: "A room is elegant no matter how small; fragrance doesn't need many flowers." It is more like a small garden than a former residence. The side room is a study; through the window you can see the swaying bamboo shadows in the garden. There are pavilions, corridors, lotus ponds, and flower fragrances, showing elegance and tranquility. It is a must-visit in the old city of Xinghua. If you don't have time to see other places, at least come here. It can be said to be Zheng Banqiao's back garden. You enter through a small door, and once inside, you will exclaim, wow, this is really the good part of the former residence! It instantly opens up your horizon. Sitting in the pavilion or walking along the path by the pond, you can feel the beauty of the garden. It is quiet, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, serene and far-reaching. Walk into Jindongmen Old Street to experience the life atmosphere of Xinghua. Not far from Zheng Banqiao's former residence is Jindongmen Old Street. The old street has a history of a thousand years. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, due to prosperous commerce, it was named Jindongmen (Golden East Gate). The east-west street is bathed in sunlight all day. The archway spanning the street outside the East Gate was erected for the owner of the "Yuanlao Mansion" – the Ming Dynasty's top scholar and prime minister Li Chunfang. Beside the archway is a small temple to the Earth God. On both sides of the archway are ordinary homes, and through half-open doors you can glimpse their lives. First, I came to a pharmacy called Shangchi Zhai (Shangchi Studio), a Ming-Qing building facing south. This is the Shangchi Zhai pharmacy built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. The front is the shop where medicinal materials are sold, authentic and honest; the back is a workshop for drying and preparing medicines, ancient and refined. The front-shop-back-workshop model, in complete Ming-Qing style architecture, well-preserved "Shangchi Zhai" with its ancient house style, has been carefully restored and now appears again full of vitality before the people of Xinghua. Walking into this deep, quiet old alley, I peeked into the daily lives of locals. Limited commercialization has preserved the original daily scenes. Shops making handmade leather shoes, nostalgic red thermos bottles, bubbling tea eggs... all are full of nostalgic and vintage atmosphere. The tour guide said that walking back and forth under the Zhuangyuan Archway can bring good luck. When arriving, one should experience the local life atmosphere and follow local customs. Qanduo Rape Flower Scenic Area – one of the world's "four major flower seas." During the Qingming Festival, rape flowers are in full bloom. Completely different from ordinary rape flowers, here they grow in the duotian (raised fields) in the water. Xinghua's Qanduo rape flowers, one of the four major flower seas in the world, fill the garden. I had been to Xinghua before, but never in March when rape flowers bloom, so I had never seen the rape flowers here. I had been yearning for Xinghua's rape flowers, and finally saw them. When I entered Qanduo rape flowers and stood on the viewing platform, as far as the eye could see, thousands of acres of rape flowers were in bloom. Before my eyes appeared a golden sea of rape flowers, opening my horizons. I had never seen such a huge sea of rape flowers; the scenery was charming and very shocking. From afar, the rape flowers were already lush, everywhere a golden yellow, like a golden carpet spread on the ground. This was the first time I saw such a large field of rape flowers; I was especially happy and excited. Many tourists came to take photos, laughing heartily in the sea of flowers. Walking into the sea of rape flowers, immersed in the golden yellow, watching dancing bees gather nectar, I felt as if I were in a golden ocean. I ran, cheered, and felt especially relaxed. Looking close, the rape flower is the most ordinary. It has no rose's delicacy; it only has simple four small petals, and ordinary golden yellow is all its color. But many ordinary small flowers connected together, all petals tight, this one leaning on that, that one embracing this, face to face, forming a golden flower sea, the dazzling gold even more brilliant than sunlight. Looking closely at the rape flowers, I found each small flower has four petals, very small. Although one petal is tiny, many petals together form a large flower cluster. I sniffed hard, only a faint fragrance. All these flowers lift their heads, as if vying to absorb the spring rain's nourishment, but silently. Li Zhong Water Forest – a dreamy mist forest trip. Entering Xinghua's Li Zhong Water Forest feels like a dream world. In front appear rows of tall metasequoia trees; in March, leaves haven't sprouted yet. There are over 100,000 metasequoia and pond cypress trees, tall and dense, creating a vibrant water forest with a unique waterscape of "forest in water, fish in water, birds in forest." Walking inside, the temperature is much lower than outside, the air moist. It happened to be drizzling; I took a bamboo raft and drifted along the river, passing through small streams, very unique. Entering the misty forest fog, it felt like stepping into a fairyland, making one's imagination soar. Don't miss the forest fog in the scenic area. Walking into the misty forest fog feels like entering a dream world. The fog is released every day at certain times. When you come, don't miss it; it's really photogenic. Plus, purple flowers fill the garden; when the fog becomes like smoke, walking inside gives a different dreamy feeling. Of course, when here, you should experience the bamboo raft (actually a wooden raft). Sit on the wooden raft and slowly float on a green small river. As the raft slowly passes, you can see tall trees. Floating on the river feels dreamy, passing through small streams, very impressive, like passing through a big forest. Each season, riding a boat through the forest has different scenery. In this season, the new buds of metasequoia haven't grown yet, so the trees look bare, but you can see many birds on the trees, like egrets, busy building nests. Step into Bishui Dongluo, feel the flower sea pastoral countryside. Dongluo Village in Qanduo Town, Xinghua City, is connected to the global four major flower sea – Qanduo Scenic Area. It is a four-star rural tourism area in Jiangsu Province, selected in 2017 as one of the first pilot villages for characteristic pastoral rural construction in Jiangsu. Colorful duotian are picturesque, rivers and ditches ripple with blue waves, farmhouses have green bricks and black tiles, riverbanks are surrounded by green trees, and waterside pavilions are uniquely shaped. In spring, Dongluo Village exudes a rustic charm. Neat houses, crisscrossing fields, honest folk customs. On the country paths, crowds of people with smiling faces come and go. Tourists stroll around the village, taking photos everywhere. Here you can also relax and go fishing, experience characteristic lake-view homestays, and taste seasonal lake fresh delicacies. Dongluo Lake surrounds the village; rape flowers are everywhere, embraced by the lake. The people here live happy lives, the roads are clean and tidy, full of rural countryside atmosphere. At sunset, the beautiful sunset reflection in the water is like a rural pastoral painting. Stepping into the Dongluo Qiu Shi Museum, you can feel that the village has become a moderately prosperous life. Benefiting from the unique natural endowments of duotian water town, Dongluo Village has transformed into a good place for tourism. Now, the villagers are rich, and their demand for spiritual culture is higher. Walking in the village, rape flowers bloom everywhere, clean streets, and each household's building is like a villa rural architecture. The air is fresh, and fish can be seen swimming in the river. The walls are painted with lotus flowers; a modern rural pastoral style appears before your eyes, making tourists want to come again after coming. Following a small bridge, I arrived at the tree house in the book village. This was built recently; I hadn't seen the current Zé'àn Book House when I came before. Entering the book house, there are various books to read, and it's free. The book house provides tables and chairs, also chairs for children. If you bring children, it's a good choice to read here. Walking along the riverbank, rape flowers in front of doors are blooming brightly. The sound of a small boat's motor starts, the boat slowly passes through the small river, leaving long ripples on the water surface, a water town pastoral style oil painting appears before you. Step into Shi Nai'an's Hometown – Shijiaqiao Village, full of Water Margin culture. Entering Shijiaqiao Village, Shi Nai'an's hometown, our first stop was Shi Nai'an Cemetery. At the cemetery, the first thing that catches the eye is a three-gate, four-pillar archway erected in the center of the square, engraved with the words "Shi Nai'an Cemetery". Upon entering the gate, you can see the stone statue of Shi Nai'an. A stone statue of Shi Gong appears, holding a book scroll, looking far into the distance, a heroic aura rushing towards you. I have been to Xinghua several times, but this was my first time here; I hadn't come before. After entering, I walked into the Shi Nai'an and Water Margin materials exhibition room. There are posters of movies and TV dramas adapted from Shi Nai'an's "Water Margin," filling the hall with various movie posters. The room displays some materials about the investigation and research on Shi Nai'an, and the legend of Shi Nai'an writing Water Margin behind closed doors in Shijiaqiao. According to reports, the remaining materials are currently stored in the city museum, and will be placed here after the cemetery's hardware facilities are fully equipped. Then walking through a square pavilion on the other side, a white marble stele in the pavilion is inscribed with "Qian Qiu Cai Ren" (A Talent for a Thousand Years). Then cross a brick bridge to reach Shi Nai'an's tomb. The cemetery is surrounded by clear water, with the tomb among green pines and verdant cypresses. Nearby is a green island, with a small river flowing around it. Looking down from above, it resembles a lion (Shi Zi) playing with an embroidered ball, thus commonly called a "feng shui treasure land." It is said that Shi Nai'an chose this place as his burial site because "Shi" and "lion" share the same sound, taking the meaning of "lion playing with a ball." Looking around, the entire cemetery is dotted with pavilions and towers, lush trees, small bridges and flowing water, very peaceful. Leaving the cemetery, we visited Shijiaqiao Village. Stepping into the village, the characteristic pastoral countryside of Shijiaqiao features green brick alleys, riverside wooden boardwalks, roadside green belts, and village leisure squares... Walking in Shijiaqiao Village feels like being in a beautiful garden. Now, Shijiaqiao is a well-known beautiful countryside, with a pleasant environment and comfortable life. We came to Yantai Di, the place where Shi Nai'an wrote "Water Margin." A small green-brick house built by the water, surrounded by lush bamboo and willow trees. A total of three small rooms constitute the reconstructed former residence of Shi Nai'an. Inside the house is a statue of Shi Nai'an writing; it's amazing to think that the famous "Water Margin" was born here. Walking out the back door of Shi Nai'an's former residence, we arrived at what locals call Shi Nai'an's neighbor's house. This is a wealthy family's house; even the living room is different, and the bed in the bedroom is quite high-end. Look at the kitchen: three stoves, can cook three dishes at once. Opposite are several newly opened brewing workshops. Many wine pots are placed on top. If you bring children, they can also learn how to make tofu by hand and other research projects. An administrator took out some wine from the jar for us to taste. We took a sip and found the taste really good. Walking around the village, I noticed that the walls of this village are painted with murals themed on Water Margin culture. As soon as you enter the village, you can feel this beautiful ancient village, with walls painted with characters from Water Margin as the main creative inspiration. Walking in the quiet village, the walls become a beautiful scenery. Every wall can be seen with portraits of characters from Water Margin. Under the blue sky and white clouds, these walls become unique landscapes here. Xinghua morning tea is unique – experience Xinghua morning tea culture. Xinghua's rich morning tea culture has long been deeply rooted in the bones of Xinghua people. Boiled shredded dry tofu, stewed shredded dry tofu, crab roe buns, pine nut shaomai, steamed dumplings, three-ingredient buns, and finally a bowl of Yangchun noodles – it's really a happy thing. Xinghua's smoked food, Shagou fish balls, all have unique flavors. Also crab roe buns, crispy spring rolls, oil end pieces, tofu pudding, glutinous rice stuffed lotus root, etc. Xinghua's food and snacks are countless, making people linger and forget to leave. The steaming baskets arrive: crab roe buns, steamed dumplings, shaomai, square cakes – four large baskets, really shocking for those with small appetites. The crab roe buns are handmade, the filling is local river crab meat; Xinghua river crabs have rich roe, plump meat, and plenty of oil. Freshly made and steamed, the taste is extremely delicious. Because the filling is large, the steamed broth seeps into the soft leavened dough, fragrant and moist. One bite, crab roe oil overflows. I ate three at once, so delicious. Taizhou dried tofu shreds are slightly different from traditional ones, emphasizing a smooth texture. After tasting the "green" of the hundred-layer shredded dry tofu, you naturally know what refreshment means. In Xinghua, there are three types of shredded dry tofu: traditional Taizhou dried tofu shreds, blanched hundred-layer shredded dry tofu, and boiled shredded dry tofu. Celery mixed with dried tofu, fresh and crispy, is a must-eat with morning tea. The last course of morning tea is Yangchun noodles. Xinghua produces the most unique medium-gluten flour; the noodles have a chewy texture, served with chicken soup and fish soup, flavored with Xinghua's green chives and sesame oil. Coming to Xinghua gave me a completely new understanding of morning tea. Xinghua's tongue food – don't miss the cuisine. When traveling to Xinghua, the last thing to disappoint is the food, and the most famous here is Xinghua hairy crabs. But they are only available in autumn. Xinghua smoked food is actually a kind of marinated flavor. Smoked delicacies have good color and taste, clean and refreshing, not greasy at all, but instead soft and fragrant, with a unique flavor. There is also Xinghua mixed fish: cook crabs, shrimp, eel, turtle, snakehead fish, etc. together. Lotus root sandwich is fried, quite tasty. The lotus root sandwich is called "ouhe" in the Weiyang cuisine dialect. The fried lotus root sandwich is golden yellow, with moderate saltiness, not greasy, crispy, and rich lotus root flavor. Autumn is the season when new lotus roots are on the market, also the best time to taste lotus root sandwich. Of course, you can't miss the fish here; the fish is tender and delicious, fresh. Warm accommodation, like a home during the journey. This time in Xinghua, I stayed at Tianbao Garden Hotel. This hotel is surrounded by greenery, with a beautiful environment and fresh air, very comfortable. It is very quiet at night. Eating a delicious breakfast in the morning breeze and sunshine is really wonderful. Or enjoy tea, read a book, and admire the lake view – it's an excellent place. Entering the room, wooden furniture gives a warm feeling. The room design is elegant and generous; the bed is very comfortable. The room design is also elegant and generous, replacing cold color schemes with calm and elegant wooden furniture. As soon as you enter, it gives a warm feeling like home. The most beautiful April is the best season to appreciate rape flowers. Xinghua's rape flower duotian are very distinctive. Thousands of acres of rape flowers stretch as far as the eye can see, magnificent. From above, each duotian is like a Chinese character stroke written by God on the earth, with a unique flavor. Water-nourished Xinghua, picturesque and poetic.