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.