Time gain to find plum blossoms! Remember to grab scenes at three stages -  Mid to late February is a time to find buds about to sprout, late February (till early March) is a time to enjoy flowers in full bloom, and from mid to late March to early April is a time to witness them beginning to wither and fall.

The West Lake and around are now filled with a vibe of fragrance. 

The plum blossoms at Gushan (Solitary Hill) have been famed for generations. Lin Bu, a scholar living a seclusive life by the West Lake during the Northern Song Dynasty, was best known for the plums and cranes around his thatched hub. He saw the blossoms his wife and cranes his children, leaving an eternal verse that reads “the shadows spread across the clear, shallow waters, mirroring a subtle fragrance in the dim light of dusk.” You may find most of Gushan’s plum blossoms along the lakeside back to hills, totaling about 300 plants. They are primarily Guli Hongmei (a red-petal variety), with a sparse percentage of other ones, like Gongfen, Lu’e, and Yudie. Now seventy percent of them are in bloom.

There’s a little surprise that a plum tree in front of Lin Bu’s tomb is flowering with leaves. It is quite unusual. Plum flowers typically bloom in chilly days, with fresh leaves growing only after their flowers fade away. The one at Lin Bu’s tomb shows a different life rhythm.

Plum trees at General Yue’s Memorial, just a dozen in quantity, though, are also in bloom either alone or in rows.  

The trees at King Qian’s Temple are still flowering in a dignified manner. You can also find yellow wintersweets at the northwest corner and white plums the southeast. Though not rich in total amount, the flowers brilliantly against the red walls is also a poetic scene.

Plum blossoms are “plentiful” in Lingfeng area - with more than 5,000 trees in over a hundred varieties, making it the largest plum tree garden around the West Lake. They are in the process of blooming now, poised to burst forth a sea of snowy flowers.