Sunday, March 31, 2013

Spring in Nanjing part 2


The following photos were taken in around the area of Nanjing where we live. These blossoms and colourful foliage are at their height of colour and beauty but will not last for much longer.

More can be found here.











White magnolia

Pink magnolia

Our apartment complex.



White magnolia

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Spring in Nanjing



Less than 3 weeks after a late winter snowfall of 15-20 cm, spring has arrived with temperatures reaching 29C today. Everyone here says that three weeks is all we get for spring.
 
We took the opportunity today to go to Xuanwumen Lake to look for the famous Nanjing blossom. In fact the best blossom was right here in our compound.
 
I will let the photos talk for themselves although conditions were not ideal for good photos.
 
Xuanwumen Lake.


 

 
Nanjing blossom
The city flower of Nanjing, the plum blossom is regarded as one of the "four gentlemen" of flowers in Chinese culture, together with with bamboo forests, chrysanthemums and orchids.



chaenomeles japonica
 

chaenomeles japonica


chaenomeles japonica

Nanjing blossom in our apartment complex. 



The city flower of Nanjing, the plum blossom is regarded as one of the "four gentlemen" of flowers in Chinese culture, together with with bamboo forests, chrysanthemums and orchids.





Running down one side of our apartment complex is canal with putrid water which smelt horribly. A massive effort to clean it up has started. Firstly the water was drained and now up to 2 m of mud is being pumped out and taken away; a truly massive job.

Mud is pumped out and piped to trucks with huge tanks to take it away.


Setting up another mud pump


The building site on the other side of the canal.

18 months ago when we arrived here in Nanjing, this building site was at the stage of piling. Progress of building in China is rapid once construction reaches ground level. These buildings are to go to 86 floors and are part of the Nanjing World Trade Centre.