Wuxi blossoms culturally and economically

Wuxi city in Jiangsu province becomes a popular destination for flower lovers each spring as the 30,000 cherry trees at the Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle) Scenic Area blossom, producing a panorama of delicate splendor.

Planted with around 100 different varieties of cherries and covering an area of 650,000 square meters, the scenic area in Binhu district allows visitors to enjoy the transient beauty of cherry blossoms over the course of a month.

Cherry trees have been cultivated in Yuantouzhu since 1933. From the 1980s onward, some 30,000 trees were planted with the help of thousands of Japanese volunteers, creating the Sino-Japanese Cherry Blossom Friendship Forest.

Since Thursday, Wuxi has been celebrating its annual International Cherry Blossom Week as well as its 2022 International Month, opportunities not just to admire cherry blossoms, but also to promote friendship with foreign countries.

"People from Wuxi and Japan planted the Sino-Japanese Cherry Blossom Friendship Forest together 35 years ago. After years of careful cultivation, it has become famous for cherry blossom viewing," Jiang Jiang, vice-president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said at the opening ceremony of the two annual events.

"Meanwhile, Wuxi has turned the events into a grand festival for people from around the world to enjoy cherry blossoms, enhance communication and develop together by introducing elements of economics, trade, culture and tourism."