There are so many great places to enjoy plum blossoms in early spring around Hangzhou. How many of them do you know?
Preface
When it comes to plum blossoms, can everyone recite an ancient poem about them? Ancient scholars admired plum blossoms for their integrity and character, while I appreciate their beauty and delicious taste.
Yes, you read that right, plum blossoms can be eaten. As a traditional Chinese medicine, plum blossoms can stimulate the appetite, promote salivation, soothe the liver and relieve depression after being decocted and taken.
Plum blossoms can be used to make tea and wine. They are effective for loss of appetite and vomiting during pregnancy, and can also clear away heat and reduce fire.
Although the beginning of spring has passed, the weather in February is still chilly, which makes the plum blossoms bloom more vigorously. The warm and cold season seems to tell us that the annual best time to appreciate plum blossoms is gradually approaching.
Here we have collected several excellent places for plum blossom viewing. In your spare time, you can go there with some relatives and friends to make the most of this great time for plum blossom viewing in early spring.
Ningbo-Jiufeng Mountain
The Plum Garden of Jiufeng Mountain is located in the Wangao Scenic Area of Jiufeng Mountain. As one of the three major plum blossom viewing bases in East China, the plum blossoms in various shapes and forms here complement the mountains and waters of Jiufeng Mountain, creating a moving landscape.
The period from early February to early March is when the plum blossoms on Jiufeng Mountain are in full bloom. Walking in the plum blossom forest on Jiufeng Mountain in this early spring is like wandering in the fragrant waves of snow, which makes people intoxicated and reluctant to leave.
Tips:
Location: Located between Daqi Street and Chaiqiao Street, Beilun District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province
transportation:
1. Take bus No. 353, 788, 83, 82, or 88 to Beilun Zhonghe Road, then take tourist bus No. 1 or No. 2 next to the Beilun Theater to Wangao Scenic Area or Ruiyan Scenic Area respectively.
2. Take bus No. 82 and get off at Daqi, then take a taxi directly to Wangao;
3. Take a bus from South Station to Beilun and get off at Qingshui. It takes more than ten minutes to walk there. You can also take the local tour bus 2 and get off at the door.
Price: Entrance to Jiufeng Mountain Scenic Area is 30 yuan per person (free for those with Beilun ID cards, temporary residence permits or work permits).
Anji Meihuagou
A beautiful mistake by CCTV once made Anji Plum Blossom Valley famous. The plum blossoms here are in full bloom from late February to early March every year, for about 10 days.
When standing on the raised hill and looking around, the plum forest in Meihuagou looks like a sea of fragrant snow outside the Great Wall. Thousands of plum trees stand in a row, and the plum blossoms on the branches are in full bloom like fire. The sea of flowers is stacked layer upon layer, like surging waves.
Tips:
Location: Located in Huangwuli Village, Xiaofeng Town, Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. If the navigation cannot reach it, you can try setting the destination as Xiaofeng Town or Daohanggai Village, and continue on Provincial Road S306, heading towards Ningguo, Anhui, to a place called Jieliang Village. There is a cement road on the left hand side to drive in.
Price: Free
Shaoxing Fragrant Snow Plum Sea
Shaoxing Xiangxuehai includes scenic spots such as the Quiet Path under the Plum Trees, Autumn Persimmons Reflecting Plum Trees, Childhood Sweethearts, Climbing the Stairs to Explore Plum Trees, Fishing in the Goose Pond, Xiangxue Plum River, Meixi BBQ, Discussing Heroes over Wine, and Tracing the Origin of Ancient Trees.
In early spring, plum blossoms bloom all over the mountains and fields. The ten-mile plum garden is filled with plum blossoms like snow and sea, like waves and tides, and the fragrance is tangy.
The breathtaking scenery makes people feel as if they are in a paradise, just like drinking a cup of plum wine, the feeling of being intoxicated in the heart is so irresistible.
Tips:
Location: Wangtan Town, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province
Transportation: Bus route: No. 532 Dongcun Station
Driving route: East Ring Road/Pingshui Avenue → S212 → Dongcun
Price: Free
Anhui Flower Fishing Village
With more and more tourists coming in recent years, the flower-selling fishing village on the side of Xin'an River has become lively, especially in February and March, it has become a good place to appreciate and taste plum blossoms.
As the first village in She County, Maihua Fishing Village has ancient and distinctive Hui-style architecture, and is matched with the plum trees surrounding it. The simplicity of the white walls and black tiles contrasts with the tender and delicate pink of the plum blossoms, making it a veritable paradise.
The unique topography makes it feel like you see a different view with every step you take. It's like walking in a historic gallery along the Xin'an River. Walking in the scenery is like walking in a painting.
Tips:
Location: Located in She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, 7 kilometers southeast of She County, in the heart of the valley on the south bank of the Xin'an River
Cost: Free
Fenghua New Plum Blossom Village
The red plum blossoms, which were originally planted by several villagers to cultivate flower seedlings as ornamental flowers, unexpectedly became popular due to the rapid spread of the Internet, and more and more tourists came here to appreciate the plum blossoms.
The flowering season, which lasts from mid-February to mid-March, provides ample time for visitors to enjoy the flowers. After a winter of nurturing, the plum trees are already in full bloom, casting shadows of blossoms and wafting their fragrance.
This vast sea of flowers and the beautiful scenery like the rosy clouds bring a spring visual feast to the tourists who come here to visit.
Tips:
Location: Xinjian Village, Xikou Town, Fenghua City, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province
Hangzhou Chaoshan Plum Blossoms
From early February to mid-March, the plum blossoms in Chaoshan Scenic Area gradually bloom. The plum blossoms here are famous for their three unique features: "ancient, vast and unique".
The antiquity of the Tang and Song plum trees, two of China's five ancient plum trees; the tens of thousands of plum trees in the "Ten Miles of Plum Blossoms in Fragrant Snow" with over ten varieties; the vastness of the vast sea of plum blossoms; and the unique six-petaled "green calyx" found only on Chaoshan Mountain—these three characteristics have drawn countless literati and poets to this place, expressing their feelings and making this sea of plum blossoms famous throughout the world.
Tips:
Location: Located on Xiaobai Line, Chaoshan Village, Tangqi Town, Yuhang District (northern Hangzhou city, near Longchao Line), 29 kilometers northeast of Hangzhou, connecting National Highway 104 and National Highway 320, and Provincial Highway 09 (Qiaomo Line) passes through the scenic area.
transportation:
1. You can choose to drive yourself;
2. Public transportation is available indoors: Linping South Station and Linping North Station both have public transportation routes to Chaoshan Scenic Area.
Price: Adult tickets are 60 yuan per person; family tickets (two adults and one child) are 150 yuan, and family tickets (one adult and one child) are 90 yuan. Children under 1.2 meters are free, and children between 1.2 and 1.5 meters are half-price at 30 yuan. Tickets for residents of Yuhang District with ID cards cost 30 yuan, and for residents of Hangzhou's main urban areas (including Shangcheng, Xiacheng, Xihu, Jianggan, Gongshu, and Binjiang) with ID cards cost 40 yuan.
Hangzhou Lingfeng Plum Blossom Viewing
When it comes to plum blossom viewing in Hangzhou, the most famous is undoubtedly the Lingfeng Plum Blossom Garden in Qingzhiwu, part of the Hangzhou Botanical Garden. Located west of West Lake, at the foot of Lingfeng Mountain, the Qingzhiwu Plum Garden covers over 200 mu and boasts over 5,000 plum trees, many of which are ancient.
Yaotai on the hillside is the best spot for viewing plum blossoms. You can admire the thousands of plum trees in the plum garden, which are as pink as clouds and as white as snow. The different colors are intertwined with each other without causing any visual fatigue.
The quaint pavilions are set against the sparse or dense plum trees, giving them an elegant and simple feel.
Tips:
Location: Located in Hangzhou Botanical Garden, No. 1 Taoyuanling, Xihu District, Hangzhou
Transportation: Take Line 15, 28, Y1, or Y2 to Yuquan Station and walk there.
Price: Tickets 10 yuan
Conclusion
While the flowers are still in bloom, you might as well take a day to encounter the sea of flowers. Surrounded by the shadows and fragrance of plum blossoms, you can see the prosperity of the world and walk through the colorful and beautiful winter plum blossoms.
