Spring in Nanjing

Dense blossom making a colourful splash.

The last weekend in March 2013 saw spring temperatures finally arrive. A great opportunity to get out and about in Nanjing to catch the last of the spring colours whilst still at or near their best. More photos can be found here.

I spent some time around our apartment complex, over near our local supermarket and then down at the Martyrs Park. Hope you enjoy the walk around with me.

Landsea apartment complex makes display after winter.

I am not sure what this tree is but it is covered with blossom. A closeup below.

A vivid splash of colour.

Pink magnolia opening out.

From our apartment complex we cross the road past the fruit truck and one block away is the Carrefour supermarket.

Our fruit truck.

A common site around Nanjing are the fruit trucks. The arrival of new seasons pineapples costing around 5RMB (around $NZ5) are most welcome. They are "skinned and cored" for you.

The supermarket is underground and at ground level is a park, lake and plaza.

Huge splash of colour in Newtown Plaza.

Multi coloured blossom.

 The white magnolias were at their best the morning I took these photos.

White magnolia

White magnolia

A short metro ride away from our apartment finds us on the way to the Martyrs Memorial Garden at Yuhuatai. Outside all stations in China one finds markets selling all sorts of things. A typical fruit truck is never far away.

The skinned pineapples are wrapped in plastic bags!

Old friends tip their hats in greeting

On entering the Martyrs Memorial Gardens, one is met by these imposing 30 metre high Soviet styled statues.

Massive granite statues.

Legend has it that here at Yuhuatai, near the south gate of Zhonghua, a 5th-century monk gave a sermon that was so powerful that flowers rained down from the sky. As a result, Chinese visitors still collect coloured pebbles found here. The souvenir shops do a brisk trade selling these too. The gardens are also called the Rain Hail Gardens.

The grounds where the park is became an execution ground during the Chinese Revolution (1927- 1949). The statues above and the column on top of the hill are a grim reminder of this  part of Chinese history.

The column here can be seen from afar, when not obscured by high-rise buildings.



Nice doorway with guardians



There are notices explaining what the various parts of the gardens are but my Chinese isn't up to it and there are no translations available.

Shrine to those who lost their lives. Looks like names on the panels behind.

The pagoda gives good views over the city.

The lack of clear blue skies in these photos is typical here. Consequently all the photos have blown out skies due to the pollution and low cloud? We do get the odd day when the sky and sun appears out of the gloom; these days are little more frequent now.

A finally a shot of some lovely spring blossom.

That's all for now. Who knows what is next?