Lixia,
It means saying goodbye to spring,
Summer begins.
Unlike the Lingnan area, it has really entered
"The green trees are thick and the summer is long, and the buildings are reflected in the pond"
of the summer heat,
Beijing at the beginning of summer.
Still stagnant in the twilight of spring,
Gorgeous and fragrant.
Searching for flowers in midsummer,
I still see "all kinds of red and purple buckets".
In the city of Beijing,
The lotus is fragrant, the peony is refined,
The moon season is gorgeous, and the tassels are clean......
They are in full bloom
and tried his best to show his beauty,
Perfect and grand bloom of their hopes,
Explain to people what it means to be in summer.
There is no qualifying demon in front of the court
In late spring and early summer, a hundred flowers are flying, but the peony is shining brightly, becoming a rare ornamental flower and tree at the turn of spring and summer in Beijing. The beauty of peony can be seen in Jingshan Park. There are many famous products here, such as the red "Red Cloud Reflecting the Sun", the pink "Shih Tzu Powder", the white "Yang Concubine Bathing", and the purple "Oolong Exploring the Sea...... Every time the peony blooms, the entire Jingshan Park turns into a sea of colors. Walking into Jingshan Park at this time, you can always meet one or two people who mistakenly refer to peony as peony, which makes people laugh.
Peony is similar to peony, so it is easy to be confused. Liu Yuxi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, specially wrote the poem "Appreciating Peony", and labeled the two flowers with "the peony demon in front of the court" and "only the peony is true national color", and since then, the "demon" represents the image of peony. However, this is not a derogatory meaning, but a manifestation of the bewitching beauty of peony. The demon of peony is not flattering, if you look closely, it is not difficult to find that she is demonic and vulgar, just for self-appreciation. "Han Xiangyun Drunken Sleep Peony Medicine" is a classic plot in "Dream of Red Mansions", which has won the love of countless "red fans". "Sure enough, Xiangyun was lying on a stone bench in a secluded place on the mountain, and he was drunk with a fragrant dream, and the peony flowers flew on all sides, and the red incense was scattered on his head and face, and the fan in his hand was on the ground, and he was half buried by the falling flowers, and a group of bees and butterflies surrounded her noisily, and wrapped a bag of peony petals with a sleeping handkerchief and pillowed it. When everyone saw it, they were both loving and laugh......ing, "But if you think about it carefully, if it weren't for the enchanting and vulgar peony, Shi Xiangyun's drunken and coquettish state would probably be discounted."
The Chinese's appreciation and writing of peony has appeared several times in the pre-Qin classics. "The Book of Songs, Zheng Feng, Qin Wei" records such a story. The spring breeze warms, the river thaws, and on March 3, the Shangsi Festival, the Qin River and the Wei River ripple with green waves. People near Liangshui go to the water's edge to bathe with bluegrass in their hands to ward off diseases and ominous diseases. A woman invites a man to go with her. Although the man had seen it, he still agreed to go with him. Not for the view, just for the sake of "Yiqi scorn, give it a spoonful of medicine". Peony has another name called will leave the grass, so ancient men and women will give each other peony when expressing the covenant of love or depending on the farewell, and the intention of the man to give peony in the Book of Songs is self-evident.
For a long time before the Tang Dynasty, peony was only known to the world as "wood peony". Peony became the shadow that peony could not shake off, and counterattacked on peony to become the "true national color", and "move the capital when the flowers bloomed", which began during the reign of Wu Zetian. Due to the love of Wu Zetian, peonies have been cultivated in large quantities, and highly ornamental varieties have appeared. The preference of an ordinary person may not be able to change the fate of a flower, but when it was favored by the ancient emperors, the situation was completely different. Tang Xuanzong also loved peonies, he once ordered people to plant red, purple, light red, and white 4 kinds of peonies in front of the Agarwood Pavilion, and invited the favorite concubine Yang Yuhuan to enjoy the flowers under the moon, and ordered Li Bai to write poems to record this matter. Li Bai then made the famous sentence "Famous flowers pour into the country, and the king looks at it with a smile", and praised the beauty of Yang Guifei with the beauty of peony. The status of peonies and peonies, which are beautiful and fragrant, eventually gradually changed due to the preferences of the emperor.
However, even though the saying that peony is the "king of flowers" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, there are still many people who love peony. In the poems of Bai Juyi, Han Yu, Yuan Zhi in the Tang Dynasty, Qin Guan, Jiang Kui and others in the Song Dynasty, peony was mentioned many times, and many famous works were born in the painting. For example, the Guangxu Emperor of the Qing Dynasty once painted "Peony Map" with a royal brush, and the flower and bird painters of the Ming and Qing dynasties, represented by Zhou Zhimian and Yun Shouping, often used peony as the theme to paint exquisite albums. For thousands of years, although peony has won the reputation of the country, it also has its own beauty with peony, and no one can replace anyone. People then planted the "king of flowers" peony and the "prime minister of flowers" peony together, so that "Gu Yu three dynasties look at peony, Lixia three dynasties look at peony".
It is the beginning of summer again, the peony has long been closed, and the peony is in full bloom. The flowers bloom in bloom, huge as the mouth of a bowl, and the petals overlap in an orderly manner, bringing strange beauty and overflowing fragrance to the ruins of the Yuanmingyuan Carved Moon and Kaiyun. The original name of the Piercing Moon Kaiyun was "Peony Terrace", which was one of the early buildings of the Old Summer Palace. On March 25, the 61st year of Kangxi (1722) in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Xuanye of Kangxi made a special trip to the peony platform of the Old Summer Palace to enjoy the flowers. At that time, in addition to Yinzhen accompanying him, the 12-year-old Hongli (later Emperor Qianlong) also met his grandfather for the first time here. The story of three generations of Kang Yongqian's emperors gathering together to appreciate peonies and peonies has been passed down to this day, and the peony platform has also become famous.
Now, when the new green is smeared with ink, walking into the peony platform, the peony flowers on the vicissitudes of life on the site are red or pink, beautiful and natural, and also intoxicating, who would have thought that she was once because of the demon and vulgar, and had no intention of competing with the peony.
荷香沁御园
"The love of peony is suitable for everyone!"
"Lotus love, who is the giver?"
The lotus flower is a traditional Chinese famous flower, and the pink and white petals and golden stamens are accompanied by a slight burst of floral fragrance, just like the wonderful music of summer, which makes people love it inexhaustibly.
Throughout the ages, countless literati and writers have repeatedly sung lotus flowers in their poems, the most famous of which is "Ai Lian Shuo" written by the Song Dynasty writer Zhou Dunyi more than 900 years ago. At that time, the poet had discovered that the consummation of midsummer was inseparable from the blooming lotus flowers. "The flowers of land and water, plants and trees, the lovely ones are very rich. Jin Tao Yuanming loves chrysanthemum alone. Since Li Tanglai, the world loves peonies very much. To love the lotus out of the mud but not stained, clear ripples but not demons, straight through the outside, not vines and branches, fragrant far and clear, pavilion net planting, can be seen from a distance and can not be blasphemed. Although "Ai Lian Said" is short, the words are beautiful, and the image and quality of the lotus flower are thus established. She is a gentleman in flowers, with a strong character, like a noble personality with clean self-love. The beauty of lotus lies in the shape of the flower, in the color, and in the unique cultural connotation. Lotus appreciation has become a common pastime for Chinese people to spend summer.
The lotus ponds in the Summer Palace, Beihai Park, Shichahai, Old Summer Palace, Lotus Pond Park and other places have their own loyal fans because of their own wonders. Some people say that the Summer Palace Harmony Garden is better than the moonlit night, because there are garden pavilions as a backdrop, which is reminiscent of Lin Daiyu's realm of "cold moon burial poetry". Beihai Park lotus appreciation is won in the early morning after the rain, because it is relatively spacious, and the morning light is hazy, which reminds people of the poetic and picturesque realm of the "Lotus Dance" performed by the Chinese Art Troupe.
Beihai Park was originally the royal garden of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and has a long history of cultivating lotus, whether it is the "royal darling" in the three seas of the Qing Dynasty, or the brand flower of "one garden and one product" today, lotus is the absolute protagonist of the summer landscape of Beihai and even Beijing. In the summer, the park is crowded with tourists, and there are often long queues at the boat rental office. If you get closer to the lotus flowers, you can find that the flowers and leaves are much taller than those on the boat. Although the park has been separated by bamboo poles to separate the lotus area, so as not to damage the lotus, but a cool breeze blows, the swaying flowers and leaves, is still more delicious than far away, Zhou Dunyi wrote in "Ai Lian Said" "can be seen from a distance and can not be blasphemed", I don't know how many readers have misled.
If you don't want to row a boat to cross the depths of the lotus flowers, then it doesn't matter, strolling along the coast, or sitting on a lakeside bench, the lotus leaves in front of you He Tiantian will make people feel like entering the scene described in "Moonlight on the Lotus Pond": "On the twists and turns of the lotus pond, the leaves of the fields are visible." The leaves come out of the water very high, like the skirt of a dancing girl. Among the layers of leaves, there are scattered white flowers, some blooming gracefully, some shyly playing flowers, just like pearls, like stars in the blue sky, and like beauties just out of the bath. The breeze passed by, sending wisps of fragrance, like the faint singing of a tall building in the distance......"
Shichahai Lotus Market is another place to enjoy lotus flowers in old Beijing. Walking into the lotus market, the small buildings of the traditional architectural style are scattered and connected, which makes people have the confusion of entering the old Beijing city by mistake. At that moment, I suddenly had the real feeling of being calm and naturally cool.
As early as the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, people began to gather in the Shichahai area to enjoy the lotus flowers, and enjoy the cool summer. Around the time of the Lotus Festival on the 24th day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, a lotus market will be opened here, where vendors gather to sell snacks such as tea, lotus fresh and ice bowls, as well as toys, entertainment, books, calligraphy and paintings, and seasonal culture. For many old Beijingers, the Shichahai Lotus Market, its lotus incense, dragonfly, sour plum soup and the lotus lanterns drifting along the river on the night of the 15th day of the seventh lunar month are all innocent and unforgettable memories of childhood summer.
Today, the old Beijingers will choose to go to the west bank of Shichahai in the early morning to take a walk to enjoy the lotus, when there are the least people, the air is the freshest, the lotus flowers still have a little dew and smoke charm, and the fragrance is more elegant. The pink petals and the turquoise lotus leaves are fresh and pleasing to the eye. Some lotus flowers bloom proudly, showing their elegant demeanor alone, some are in groups of three or five, competing with each other, full of fragrance, and there are even more buds that bloom at the beginning, shy and reserved, as if there are a thousand words to be spoken.
"Enjoying the lotus at night, singing to the wine", the classical charm of the summer scenery and the modern and fashionable bar music, constitute another side of Shichahai's summer life, in the eyes of the tourists who come to admire, there is a special fun.
In the middle of summer, it is time to enjoy the lotus.
This flower never gets tired of blooming
Beijing in July already feels like a hot summer, but many people driving on the Second Ring Road are still reluctant to raise their car windows. The road is full of traffic, and in the center of the road is the "Moon Flower Wall" densely woven by the vine and the moon. The flowers of various colors carry a faint fragrance, bringing people an unprecedented visual enjoyment. Even if you hate traffic jams, seeing so many and so beautiful moon flowers will make you feel comfortable. In order to appreciate the beauty of this summer, some people even run an extra distance on the second ring road.
In Beijing, major arterial roads like the Second Ring Road are 250 kilometers long. The magnificent moon flower wall is a unique scenery in Beijing. This is the result of more than 30 years of promotion of planting in Beijing. Nowadays, in the middle of the roadway and beside the road, in the middle of the road, in the middle of the park, in the middle of the garden, in the middle of the street, in the alley, in front of the house and behind the house, you can see the blooming moon season everywhere.
It can be said that with its indomitable vitality and long history, Yueji has become the city flower of Beijing and the symbol of the thousand-year-old capital. Even in the cold and windy wax moon, the moon season can still stand proudly in the corner of the capital, blooming with beauty that is not afraid of the cold. This characteristic of always blooming in all seasons has made Yueji win the reputation of "periwinkle" and "moon red". The literati of all dynasties have praised the moon season, such as Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty, who once praised "only this flower never tires of blooming, and the four seasons of spring are long in a year". This is not only a depiction of the long flowering period of the moon, but also a celebration of its vitality. Li Liweng of the Qing Dynasty gave the moon season the nickname of "intermittent flower", "the flower can be broken and can be continued, and the one who can be broken can be continued, only this is the case." Because what it has opened is not multiplic, and it is left to be sustainable, so it can continue like this, and all the rest cannot be continued, but it cannot be continued, but it cannot be broken." He incorporated philosophy into his praise, believing that the reason why the moon season can bloom continuously is because she knows how to "break" and "continue" in a timely manner. This flowering wisdom not only reflects the vitality of the moon season, but also reflects a philosophy of life - finding a balance between giving and retaining, so as to achieve long-term continuity. This description of Li Liweng not only depicts the growth habits of Yueji, but also endows it with a transcendent character.
Beijing, an ancient and modern city, has a soft spot for the moon season, not only because of its elegant flower shape and strong fragrance, but also because of its consistent vitality that is not afraid of the cold and heat, which is a portrayal of the perseverance and tenacity of Beijingers. Yueji beautifies the lives of Beijingers and enriches their spiritual world. In old Beijing, from the royal family to the common people, they were happy to use the pattern of the moon season for decoration, such as the "Doucai Chicken Cup" in the Ming Dynasty, there was a "double auspicious" pattern composed of "moon season flower" and "chicken". The image of the moon season has also often become the object of painting, photography and literary creation. The Qing Dynasty painting "Flowers and Insects" by Jia Lian, collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing, vividly depicts a plant that is still vibrant in a difficult environment with delicate brushstrokes, showing her vitality in the face of adversity and tenacious growth. This work is not only a celebration of the vitality of the moon season, but also a metaphor for the spiritual outlook of Beijingers.
Yueji has brought a beautiful experience to every Beijinger equally, both visually and spiritually. Every sunrise and sunset, every moon flower silently accompanies the urbanites with the most beautiful posture, and millions of Beijing people enjoy the beautiful mood brought by the blooming of the moon season. When a Beijing citizen drove from Xueyuan Road to Shilihe to work, he sighed because of the company of the moon season: "The gorgeous moon season in the morning brings me a good mood for the day, and the moon season in the evening can soothe my tension and fatigue of the day." The most surprising thing for me was that after a rainy day after work, a rainbow hung in the distance, and my eyes were full of red, pink, and yellow bushes blooming on the ring road, and a tidal smell mixed with the smell of flowers and the earth after the rain. That feeling made me feel that there was still room for dialogue between me and the hustle and bustle of the city. This simple text has resonated with millions of people in Beijing on the Internet, who have written on social platforms about the beauty and happiness that this beautiful flower of the four seasons has brought to them.
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.
Source丨Beijing Magazine, Issue 4, 2024
Picture丨Network
Typesetting丨Yao Chi