Heady scent of wintersweet beckons all this season

For more than a millennium, the blossoms have been Chinese poets' winter muse, symbolizing perseverance, purity and moral fortitude amid adversity. Poets and scholars shaped this cultural narrative as they found their ideals mirrored in the flowers.

Wang Anshi, a renowned poet and statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), penned the immortal lines: "You can't mistake them for snow mass from afar; For a subtle fragrance keeps coming forth." It was a metaphor for inner virtue — a quiet strength that reveals itself not through showy display, but through unwavering character.

Another poet who drew inspiration from the blossoms was Yang Wanli of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), who was known for his vivid imagery and appreciation of nature. He captured the resilient spirit of the blossoms in his verse:"Many flowers dare to bloom in the snow, but one tree alone ushers in spring for the world."