Gathering for crabapple blossoms

As part of the "Exploring Liaocheng City from Expats' View" series, more than 20 students from Liaocheng University enjoyed the crabapple blossoms at the Chinese Crabapple Garden on April 3 in Weiwan town, Linqing, a county-level city administered by Liaocheng city in East China's Shandong province. They immersed themselves in the splendid springtime scenery and experienced the city's rich history and vibrant culture.

The expats also participated in a crabapple-themed poetry event in the garden, sharing poems through a game of passing the flower while drumming. Those who received a crabapple branch were required to recite a poem related to the crabapple. Through these verses, the students appreciated the beauty of the crabapple blossoms, the gentleness of spring, and the charm of traditional Chinese culture.

The Chinese Crabapple Garden was established in 1998 and currently covers an area of 1,020 mu (68 hectares). Through years of careful cultivation, the garden is now home to over 180 varieties of crabapples, totaling more than tens of thousands of plants. The crabapple garden boasts a profusion of blossoms in spring, colorful leaves in summer, abundant fruit in autumn, and serene beauty in winter. Each variety of crabapple displays its unique posture and beauty, making the garden a leisurely and distinctive scenic spot in northern China. (Edited by Zhao Limei and Du Xiaping)

International students, adorned in hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing), admire the blossoming crabapple flowers. [Photo by He Xinhua for chinadaily.com.cn]

A young woman captures memories in the crabapple garden. [Photo by Zhang Zishui for chinadaily.com.cn]