A beautiful lake scenery and ten miles of osmanthus fragrance (one flower understands a city)

Figure 1: Osmanthus vase in the homes of Hangzhou residents.

Photo by Yu Wenhua

Figure 2: Osmanthus fragrance at the Qianwang Temple in Hangzhou.

Photo by Lv Shangyuan

Figure 3: The medal "Guizi" at the Hangzhou Asian Paralympic Games is composed of a combination of osmanthus flowers and the emblem of the Hangzhou Asian Paralympic Games on the front.

Photo provided by Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee

Figure 4: West Lake and Osmanthus.

Provided by Hangzhou Landscape Cultural Relics Bureau

Figure ⑤: A fragrance of osmanthus at the corner of a street in Hangzhou.

Photo by Hu Zhan

Figure ⑥: By the water in Hangzhou, osmanthus flowers are blooming and gradually entering a beautiful scenery, with a refreshing fragrance of osmanthus.

Photo by Li Xiaowei

Figure ⑦: Osmanthus and Lotus Root Noodles

Figure ⑧: Osmanthus Cake

Flower paper

Osmanthus fragrans

Osmanthus, also known as Rock Osmanthus, Osmanthus, or Nine Li Xiang, belongs to the Osmanthus family and belongs to the Osmanthus genus. It is an evergreen tree or shrub with thin and weak flower stalks, extremely short filaments, and extremely fragrant flowers; The fruit is generally oval shaped and purple black in color; The leaves are opposite to each other and have a leathery texture, forming an elliptical, elongated, or elliptical lanceolate shape. The apex is gradually pointed, and the base is gradually narrowed to form a wedge-shaped or wide wedge-shaped shape. The flowering period is from September to October, and the fruiting period is in March of the following year.

More than 2500 years ago, China began cultivating osmanthus flowers. Osmanthus has a wide variety of horticultural varieties, with the most representative being Jin Gui, Yin Gui, Dan Gui, and Si Ji Gui. Osmanthus is evergreen all year round and its flowering period is in mid autumn. It is often planted alone or in pairs in gardens, or in clusters or patches, making it a good material for potted ornamental plants. In addition to its ornamental value, it also has rich therapeutic value.

Data Appreciation of Flowers

In memory of Jiangnan,

I remember Hangzhou the most.

Searching for Guizi in the middle of the mountain temple,

Looking at the tide on the pillow of the county pavilion.

When will you revisit again?

——Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi

Watching the tides by the Qiantang River and enjoying the fragrance of osmanthus under the trees is a comfortable life for Hangzhou people after autumn.

Farewell to the gentle breeze of willows in spring and summer, the faint fragrance floats by the West Lake. Under the osmanthus tree, visitors sipping tea are content and content. When the autumn wind blows, osmanthus flowers drift and fall on the shoulders of tourists.

As the city flower of Hangzhou, osmanthus is planted all over the streets and alleys. After autumn, osmanthus gradually blooms, clusters and clusters... The whole city is as sweet and fragrant as sugar stains. In front of the osmanthus tree, pedestrians stop to admire and immerse themselves in it.

The golden autumn osmanthus is another shining business card in Hangzhou.

Reviewing the present and the past

The fragrance of flowers still lingers

The Classic of Mountains and Seas has a saying: There are many laurels in the majestic mountains. In China, the cultivation history of osmanthus has been over 2500 years. In Hangzhou, a wisp of osmanthus fragrance has also been lingering for thousands of years.

Hangzhou Osmanthus trees were first planted in the Lingyin Temple area. The line from the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's "Memories of Jiangnan", "Searching for Guizi in the Mid Mountain Temple", describes the elegant act of admiring the moon and searching for Guizi in the Lingyin Temple area.

The location where Tang Dynasty poet Song Zhiwen appreciated the osmanthus was also Lingyin Temple. Resting in the temple, he smelled the fragrance of flowers and wrote the famous line "Gui Zi Yue Zhong Luo, Tian Xiang Yun Wai Piao".

The Song Dynasty poet Liu Yong not only praised Hangzhou for its beautiful appearance in the southeast, the Three Wu capitals, and the prosperous Qiantang since ancient times, but also couldn't forget the beautiful West Lake, as well as the "Three Autumn Guizi and Ten Mile Lotus".

Throughout the beautiful scenery of West Lake, the rain of Longgui cannot be avoided. Manjuelong, located in a natural village south of West Lake, had already been extensively planted with osmanthus flowers during the Southern Song Dynasty. In the golden autumn season, more than 7000 osmanthus trees, including golden osmanthus, silver osmanthus, red osmanthus, and four season osmanthus, stretch their waists along the mountain roads and slopes, emitting a fragrant aroma. The small and dense osmanthus flowers, when exposed to heavy dew and scattered in the wind, are as dense as raindrops. When people are in it, they are like bathing in rain and wearing incense, hence the name "Full Longgui Rain".

Nowadays, there are nearly 10000 osmanthus trees in Manjuelong, of which 8 are over 200 years old. According to statistics, there are 184 ancient osmanthus trees over a hundred years old in Hangzhou, with the oldest being over 1500 years old. In the main urban area, there are two oldest recorded osmanthus trees located near the Wenlan Pavilion at the foot of the Gushan Mountain. It is said that they were planted during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and still bloom year after year, with a fragrant and refreshing fragrance.

In 1983, people from Hangzhou voted for the city flower, and out of the 21518 valid votes collected, Osmanthus alone received 9441 votes, winning the top spot.

"Osmanthus has a rich aroma, which is loved by people of all ages and genders. Osmanthus trees are evergreen all year round, making them easy to plant and suitable for various places. Coupled with the long history and cultural heritage of Osmanthus in Hangzhou, it is not surprising that it was recognized by the general public and the selection expert group back then." Shi Diandong, former director of the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Cultural Heritage, said that in 1988, Hangzhou also held the first Osmanthus Festival in Manlong Guiyu Park, and every autumn thereafter, there was a "Gui Appreciation fever".

Nowadays, in Hangzhou, from the city to the countryside, osmanthus trees can be seen everywhere in the bushes on both sides of the streets and roads. Walking in autumn, unintentionally, the fragrance fills the nose, making one unable to help but stop.

Ordinary in the market

Harmony of Qi and Rhyme

In "L ü Shi Chun Qiu", it is said that the beauty of harmony is the glory of flaunting. In ancient times, studying hard in the cold window and obtaining official titles was known as "Changong Zhegui". Throughout, osmanthus has conveyed people's longing for a better life and has also subtly shaped the urban atmosphere.

Osmanthus flowers are not flamboyant, but their fragrance is still lingering. Hangzhou, filled with smoke and fire, has integrated this proper sense of happiness into everyday life.

The mountain paths, park trails, streets and alleys... there are countless places in Hangzhou to admire the osmanthus, and even when the windows open, they collide with the fragrance of flowers. Choose a shade of trees, enjoy tea and read under the osmanthus tree. When the wind blows, the osmanthus falls on the pages of the book, moistening the tea soup. When you come to your senses, you suddenly feel the fragrance of osmanthus lingering.

It's even more fun to go to the mountains and follow the villagers to pick osmanthus flowers. In the early morning of the morning, when the flowers had not yet bloomed and the fragrance had not yet dissipated, a plastic cloth was laid out and a bamboo pole was gently tapped on the branches, creating a fragrant and sweet rain of osmanthus flowers.

Osmanthus not only looks impressive and can be smelled, but also eaten, which creates a more solemn sense of ceremony for Hangzhou people after entering autumn - collecting, screening, and cleaning osmanthus, using unique ingredients such as pastries, tea, and sugar to create a "osmanthus economy" that can be found all over the streets and alleys.

In a corner of the city, stalls selling osmanthus rice cakes and osmanthus honey are crowded with customers; At the restaurant table, fresh chestnut soup with osmanthus, osmanthus lotus root, and osmanthus wine bring satisfaction to the taste buds of diners... Citizens who have enjoyed osmanthus always bring a few snacks home.

Tea houses, milk tea shops, coffee shops... imaginative young people have long placed osmanthus in Longjing tea, milk tea, and even coffee, becoming popular seasonal restrictions.

People often say that since the fragrance of osmanthus cannot be retained, it can be transformed into the freshness and fragrance of the tongue. Foreign guests sat in the teahouse and saw fresh osmanthus flowers falling into the Longjing tea. The freshness of Longjing was infused with a pungent warm fragrance.

Hangzhou people enjoy the sweetness of autumn and are also working hard and living happily in this beautiful city.