Spring is coming,
Beijing is like a big garden again.
Bonding with flowers,
It is the innate romance of the ancient capital;
Accompanied by flowers,
It is the warm and comfortable daily life of Beijingers.
The Book of Songs, the earliest collection of poetry in China, records 132 kinds of flowers and plants. Chinese not only appreciate the beauty of Liangmu Jiahui, but also use flowers and trees to express their own pursuit of morality and beauty. "The Death of the Peach" uses the peach blossom as a metaphor for the bride's youth and beauty, "Gantang's Love" uses Gantang to praise the virtuous officials and honest officials who are appreciated by the people, and "Weishi and women, Yiqi scorns each other, and gives them a spoonful of medicine" describes the bright love of young boys and girls. Flowers and trees were endowed with character and emotion by the literati, and became an enduring image in literature, thus forming a humanistic landscape with oriental charm on the world cultural stage.
In the land of Beijing, people also love plants and advocate nature. In the past, Beijing was a veritable flower capital, with a large number of beautiful flowers growing in the imperial gardens of the palace, the flower ponds in the courtyards of the mansions, and even the corners of the streets and alleys. Today, Beijing is a true garden city, and in a city with 16.9 square meters of park green space per capita, everyone has green at their fingertips, and people's desire to be close to nature has never been easier to satisfy.
At present, in Beijing, flowers are in full bloom, and it is the most beautiful April day in the world.
The flowers of the millennium city are falling and blooming
In Beijing, flowers are everywhere at all times. Whether it is the moon season planted on both sides of the road and the exotic flowers from afar, or the huge flower baskets in front of Tiananmen Square during the National Day, and the flower landscape arranged at the street entrance, they are all pleasing to the eye and ingenious enough. They underscore the indisputable fact that Beijing is a city of flowers.
Beijing's relationship with flowers has been written for a long time. The history of large-scale flower cultivation in Beijing can be traced back to the Jinzhongdu era. At that time, Fengyi Gate set up a suburban platform, called "Fengtai", where flower farmers raised flowers, and Beijing's flower and tree industry began to take shape. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Fengtai's flower and tree industry reached its peak. The Qing Dynasty's "Hongxue Karma Diagram" recorded: "Fengtai is eight miles outside You'anmen, eighteen villages before and after, the spring is sweet and fertile, and it is the most suitable to raise flowers, so the residents mostly plant flowers as their business." "Villagers in Fanjia Village, Huangtugang, Caoqiao, Yuquanying, Majiapu and Zhenguosi mostly make a living by planting flowers and trees, and they take advantage of Beijing's natural conditions to cleverly build simple greenhouses with adobe, in which plum blossoms, peonies and other varieties are cultivated, and in winter they will also carry out flowering production. At that time, the "Eighteen Villages of Flower Township" was famous all over the country for its large-scale flower and tree industry. In addition to being transported by flower farmers to temple fairs such as Longfu Temple, Huguo Temple and Baita Temple, these flowers are also carried by small traders to shout and sell in the streets and alleys, and the fragrance is all over Beijing.
As an important flower production area in Beijing, Fengtai Flower Township is especially famous for planting peony. "Kyoto's flowers and trees are prosperous, but Fengtai peony is the best in the world" contained in "Jisheng April in the Year of the Emperor", which is the highest praise for the peony produced here. Every year around April of the lunar calendar, the peony is in full bloom, and all the flower sellers in the capital pour into Fengtai to buy fragrant branches. Zhou Yun's "Xijin Diary" of the Ming Dynasty contains: "Jingshi Fengtai peony medicine is one after another, and there are more than 10,000 people in the city. "Flower sellers and flower farmers brought the best flowers into the city in carts and on flat poles, and they were immediately snapped up. Fengtai peony is widely popular in the market, and Fengtai Flower Town has also become a flower-viewing resort, attracting countless tourists to come here to see the spring color. After seeing the bright peony flowers in Fengtai, the Qing Dynasty poet Pang Kai wrote a poem: "In April, the Qing Dynasty and the peony opened, and thousands of red and purple clusters of Fengtai." When they meet, they are all looking at the flowers, and the sunset sheng song is back. ”
Although peony is beautiful, it is not as beautiful as begonia. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, begonias were respected as "the respect of a hundred flowers", and begonias were widely planted in the capital of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and their pretty figures can be seen everywhere in the ancient temples in the gardens. The Ming Dynasty's "Dadu Miscellaneous Records" recorded: "Dadu Xingsheng Palace is planted with 100 begonias, flowers bloom in March, and the harem beauties are appreciated here, and the garden is full of fragrance." Another famous begonia viewing spot is Weigong Temple (formerly known as Hongshan Temple) outside Guang'an Gate. Begonia flowers are delicate and charming, so that people can't help but attach what they see and think to it, and symbolize love, bitter love and sorrow. For example, "From now on, who will say, a spring heart pays begonias", it expresses that the girl who is in love at the beginning of her love can only be full of love and begonia flowers because of the constraints of feudal etiquette.
Since ancient times, Beijing has a saying that "look at peonies before and after the rain in the valley, and appreciate peonies before and after the beginning of summer". Peony is another flower that occupies an important weight in the hearts of Beijingers, and people have named it the "national flower" to express their love for her with great fanfare. The most favored peony is the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi, who wrote in "Appreciating Peony": "The peony demon in front of the court has no qualification, and the pond is pure and affectionate." Only the peony is true to the national color, and the flowers move the capital when they bloom. The poet did not hesitate to use peonies and lotus flowers to set off the freshness and affection of the peony. In ancient times, Kek Lok Temple was famous for its lush peonies. From the Son of Heaven to the common people, they will come here to enjoy the peony in April and May every year, and it can really be said that once the flowers bloom, the whole capital is shaken. Because people have a soft spot for peonies, the peony garden in Kek Lok Temple is also named the National Flower Hall. Peony is graceful and luxurious, and it is generous, so it is widely popular and is regarded as a symbol of national prosperity and prosperity. In the legend of "Emperor Wu depreciates the peony", the peony disobeys the will of the empress Wu Zetian to bloom in the harsh winter, and still has dry branches and dead leaves in the midst of a hundred flowers, standing proudly. As a result, the peony got rid of its superficial and magnificent appearance, and turned into a heroic and unyielding spiritual image, which was deeply rooted in the people.
During the Kangqian period of the Qing Dynasty, China's garden culture developed to an unprecedented extent, and a large number of ornamental flowers were planted in the royal gardens and private gardens. In the royal garden Summer Palace, in addition to planting the highly sought-after peony, begonias and magnolia are also planted, lotus flowers are planted in Kunming Lake, and pine and oriental cypress are planted in the courtyard. During this period, flowers and trees were widely planted in the capital, and flower viewing became an elegant fashion. The Qing Dynasty's "Lang Qian Ji Wen Chu Pen" recorded: "The flowers of Dumen are the most prosperous in the begonia of Jile Temple, the peony of Zaohua Temple, the peony of Fengtai, the lotus of Shichahai, the osmanthus of Baobao Temple, and the chrysanthemum of Tianning Temple. In the spring and autumn season, the guests are brought with them, and the rides are endless. "The famous temples in the gardens of the capital are blooming everywhere, presenting a scene full of spring in the garden.
In Chinese flower culture, flowers are usually personified, and the lattice is attached to the personality, and the personality is pinned on the flowers. Beijingers love flowers, love her character and integrity. People love the tenacity of plum blossoms, the nobility of orchids, the innocence of lotus flowers, and the beautiful flower language symbolizes people's adherence to the noble spiritual world. Flowers bloom and fall, and they have been staged for a long time year after year in Beijing, a thousand-year-old city. The love of flowers is also alive and well in the capital.
The flower charm of the city of a thousand gardens
Although the flowers have bloomed in the four seasons since ancient times, the flowering places were once more concentrated in royal gardens, palaces and temples, and private courtyards, and flowers and trees were rarely planted in public spaces. In fact, at the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Beijing's forest coverage was only 1.3 percent, a far cry from the greenery and flowers that people are now accustomed to in this forest city. Today's Beijing, the forest coverage rate has reached 44.9%, walking in the city, the tree-lined roads, lush and green, make people feel refreshed. At this moment, it is spring, and new greenery is throbbing and germinating on the dry branches of trees, and Beijing has ushered in the first spring after being awarded the "National Forest City".
From the Maotong Mountain to the lush trees, Beijing's voluntary tree-planting campaign in the barren mountains since the 80s of the 20th century has made the green mountains a reality. Since 2012, Beijing has launched two rounds of afforestation and greening projects of one million acres. In just over ten years, 30 green spaces of more than 10,000 mu and 260 green spaces of more than 1,000 mu have been formed in the plain area, and the total amount of forest resources in the plain area has increased by 1 time.
There are thousands of tree species to choose from, but what kind of trees are most suitable for taking root in Beijing? The principle of plant selection in Beijing can be summed up in a 10-word formula -- "locality, longevity, stress resistance, food source, and beauty". Although it is only 10 words, it comprehensively summarizes all the characteristics that the most suitable tree species for this part of Beijing should have, and reflects the thoughtful planning of Beijing's landscaping. The selection of tree species should be adapted to local conditions, and the "indigenous" varieties naturally distributed in Beijing are obviously more adaptable than those introduced from other places. If the tree species has the characteristics of longevity and stress resistance, it can achieve a long-term green picture more efficiently and with less worry and effort. On such a static canvas full of greenery, it would be even more beautiful to add a little dynamic beauty. The pollen, nectar, wild fruits and berries produced by the flowers and trees of the forest are the food source of wild animals. Beijing also takes into account the planting of small animal "ration trees" when planting trees, providing them with food, water and habitat. By enriching biodiversity, a more complete and healthy ecological chain will be formed. As for how to achieve the landscape effect of urban greening, Beijing's idea is to increase the green area, enrich the greening level, and extend the green time. Therefore, the planting tree species are mainly large-crown trees, with shrubs, and the greening level is increased through the mixed planting of trees, shrubs and grasses, and the seasonal characteristics of plants such as spring flowers, summer shade, autumn leaves, and winter branches are highlighted, so as to improve the winter landscape effect, and draw a picture of evergreen and shade interweaving in the city.
Beijing is a well-organized city, from the second ring road to the sixth ring road. According to this urban structure, Beijing has laid out three green rings: the urban park ring, the country park ring and the forest wetland park ring around the capital, building a blue-green intertwined recreation system, so that people living in the area can feel surrounded by greenery no matter where they are.
The green ring is not the rest of Beijing's greening, between the green, on the green, with color dots dyed intertwined, flowers and trees, complementing each other, Beijing has gradually become a real "garden city".
When people drive in the city of Beijing, they will find that the green belts of the second ring road, the third ring road, the fourth ring road and other major ring roads are clinging to the vine moon season with a height of more than 1 meter, and in the middle of the busy road, a dreamy moon season flower wall is weaved. In the same way as Beijing's green belt, the moon season belt is also ring-shaped, and it has a poetic name - the moon season necklace. This 250-kilometer-long urban flower gallery has become a unique landscape in Beijing, reflecting Beijingers' love for the moon season.
In 2016, when the president of the World Moon Season Federation visited Beijing, he exclaimed: "No other country's capital has planted the moon season so beautifully as Beijing." What he didn't know was that the people of Beijing have loved Yueji since ancient times. More than 30 years ago, Beijing launched a city-wide selection of city flowers, and Yueji topped the list with 51% of the votes. This result is not unexpected, as early as in the past when Beijing's green coverage rate was low and plant varieties were single, Yueji was "outstanding" in the environment of scarce flowering plants, she was both familiar and easy to see and easy to obtain for the people, and could be called "the flower at the doorstep". The beautiful and colorful moon season is the traditional flower of Beijing, which has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people since ancient times. The literati liked her, and Li Liweng of the Qing Dynasty gave her the nickname of "intermittent flower", he said: "The flower can be broken and can be continued, and the only one who can be broken and restored can be broken." In a few words, it not only summarizes the characteristics of the extremely long flowering period of the moon season, but also praises her undefeated and intermittent personality. The three seasons of flowering add a vibrant colour to Beijing, making the city fresh and fresh for most of the year.
The flowers bloom to the fullest, from the flower gallery around the city and the small gardens in the courtyards of citizens' homes, to the street gardens, small green spaces, and leisure parks in Beijing. As if in an instant, the land of Jinghua bloomed everywhere, and countless parks appeared out of thin air. Beijing's greening not only focuses on large-scale afforestation in the suburbs, but also pays attention to the blossoming and falling of flowers around the citizens. In the center of the city, Guangyang Valley Urban Forest Park, Asian Games Village Small and Micro Wetland Park, Xidan Pocket Park, Yongan Small Balcony Park, ...... In these small but beautiful ecological spaces that have sprung up like a blowout, plants grow freely, and colorful flowers and shrubs such as Yueji, zinnia, and Lingxiao complement each other with tall locust trees and pines and cypresses. Citizens can push the window to see the green, go out to see the garden, and perceive more green. Even more pleasing is that more and more parks are removing walls and fences to avoid fragmenting the urban landscape. "Visiting the park no longer requires a sense of ritual, but has become a way of life, and you can walk around after tea and dinner. "People feel so much about the improvement of the ecological environment, and people's sense of happiness and gain continues to improve.
Today, there are as many as 1,065 large and small parks in Beijing. The sense of boundary between the house and the park, the city and the forest has dissolved, and this green has spread to every corner of the city. Beijing is not only a thousand-year-old city, but also a city full of flowers and flowers.
Beijing Magazine is a multilingual monthly magazine co-sponsored by the Information Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the Beijing International Communication and Exchange Center and the Beijing News.
The magazine is committed to shaping and disseminating the image of Beijing, telling the story of Beijing, showcasing Beijing's urban culture and urban fashion, helping Beijing build a world-class, harmonious and livable city, showing the unique charm of Beijing as an international city, and presenting the latest, most beautiful and best Beijing to Chinese and foreign readers.
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Source丨Beijing Magazine, Issue 4, 2024
Typesetting丨Yao Chi