Rose Isle (Photographed by He Pengcheng)

Guest Hall of Qinglin Village (Photographed by He Pengcheng)

Guest Hall of Xilai Village (Photographed by He Pengcheng)

Western outskirts of Tongliang (Photographed by Guo Hong)

Jianshui Park (Picture provided by Tongliang Culture and Tourism Committee)

Qicaimengyuan (Photographed by He Pengcheng)

Xuantian Lake (Photographed by Guo Hong)

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- During my stay in Tongliang, I like to walk to Huayu Youyou Valley on the western outskirts. I like to walk in a spontaneous way, and I don’t get lost anyway. I can smell the fragrance of the plants from the tip of my nose to my heart. My eyes caress the soft petals of the flowers all along the way. Like a wind that has lost its control, I run with pure joy, stringing my footprints together to make a trail.

However, when I accompany my 96-year-old grandmother on her visit to the Huayu Youyou Valley on the western outskirts, I have to slow down. Driving slowly along the greenway, the flowers and greenery along the roadside are like guides on a fairy tale path, and when I calm down, I can hear their whispers about their household affairs.

When we arrived at Rose Isle, I grabbed my phone to take pictures as a self-proclaimed “royal photographer”. The flowers against the backdrop of the countryside bring the old whispers of time. My grandmother’s smiling face with the flowers as a backdrop is crystalline in its veins, giving her a new glow.

Dongfanghong, Fenshan, Xiannv, Pink Swany, Xianjing, Caiyun… Over 50 varieties of roses, my grandmother certainly couldn’t name them all. When exactly do the thousands of roses bloom quietly? The aromas are the never-ending sweetness of the world, feeding the stomach and intestines in many different ways. On Rose Isle in full bloom, whoever I bump into has a fresh tone and a fragrant face. The silver-haired grandmother lingers in the arched wreath gallery, mostly delighted, with a touch of shyness. I think there must be a passage linking the days of youth in the flowers of Rose Isle.

When we reach the Research Base, we find that the flowers are in bloom and the rocks are tinged with moss. Close to the soil, the bougainvillea speetabilis are dazzling in their many colors, red, yellow, pink and white... The hustle and bustle brought on by footsteps from the south to the north stops here, and laughter with unfamiliar dialects startles the bees and butterflies on the petals. A group of children are even more delighted, chattering like birds jumping in the flowers without a care in the world, and like they have gained the weight of the flowers, walking in the low places, their dew-soaked footprints all over the paths, all over spring.

When we are tired, we have rest at Yasha on the west outskirts. The white walls, grey tiles and wooden doors are enough to keep out the distractions of the world; the green ivy on the walls and the jasmine at the roots can save money and are enough to attract bees and butterflies; and the small, unnamed flowers are lively and quiet at the same time. The room is illuminated by dim light and is suitable for reading, drinking tea, meditating, lazing...

The phone is soon full of photos with flowers. The ideal life has the seclusion of pale sunshine, the bearing of traffic, flowers in all seasons and no shortage of food and vegetables. If Tao Yuanming were our neighbour, what kind of life and mood would it be? No need to pick chrysanthemums, no need to bring wine, stone ground bean paste, gauze net filtered bean residue, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, pickled vegetables, rice, all are clear and joyful ...... The sound of frogs and insects speak for us, living off the earth and sublimating its purity and thickness.

Slow down, let’s walk a little slower, and give yourself, or your beloved ones, the good times you’ve saved up at Huayu Youyou Valley on the western outskirts. The stretching branches hold the dew of the night, and parental love is the ageless happiness, shining for a family. (Written by: Zhang Fengming)

• 1
• 2
• 下一页
• 全文阅读