IT'S that magical time of year when nature comes alive again. Urban day-trippers, it's time to shake off the dregs of winter and embrace the exuberance of springtime! And what better place than Songjiang to breathe fresh air, enjoy rural tranquility and delight in nature's palette of seasonal blooms? Tan Weiyun reports.

Ah, springtime! The poets tell us it's the season when a young man's fancy turns to love. There is certainly a lot to love about the season. Sun conquers gloom, warmth trumps cold and spring fever supplants the "cabin fever" of winter. Tolstoy wrote that "spring is the time for plans and projects."

So it's time to spring into action and get out of doors to enjoy the season of renewal. And what better way to rejoice in that feeling of reborn exuberance than to inhale the sights and scents of spring blossoms?

The Songjiang District is lending a helping hand with its annual Spring Outing Festival, which runs from March 28 to April 28.

Here are some of the highlights. Cherry Blossom Park

This promises to be the biggest display of Shanghai's cherry blossom season, after completion of the first phase of the 100,000-square-meter sakura park, featuring the popular Japanese variety.

Located along the eastern section of Chenhua Road near the Chenshan Botanic Park, this vast grove of 6,000 cherry trees is open to the public free of charge.

The pink sea of blossoms is expected to be at its height from late March to early April. When fully completed, the cherry trees will cover an area of 450,000 square meters - three times the size of People's Square in downtown Shanghai.

The park offers modern public toilets, free car parking and plans for several restaurants.

Trees in the Chenshan Botanic Park are expected to come into full blossom in mid-April. The Shanghai International Studies University in Songjiang University Town also has smaller groves of sakura trees, giving students an often-welcome respite from studies.



Address: The east end of Chenshan Botanic Park Gate No. 1

How to get there:

By Metro: Dongjing Station, Metro Line 9. Take Bus Songjiang 19 to the Gate No.1 of the botanic park, then walk about 1,000 meters eastward.

By car: Take the G60 Highway to the Songjiang New City exit. Drive along the Jiasong Road to the north, then turn left at Chenhua Road.

Or take the G50 Highway and exit at Zhaoxiang. Drive along the Jiasong Road to the south, turning right at Chenhua Road. The parking lot is on the western side of the botanic park's Gate No.1. Pear Blossom Festival

The Cangqiao pear orchards on the northern bank of the upper reaches of the Huangpu River will be covered with snow-white blossoms from April 2-10.

About nine different varieties portend another summer harvest of the big, juicy pears.

The 30-hectare orchard is famed for producing quality pears with tender, crispy flesh and mouthwatering sweetness. The pears have won numerous awards in the country and abroad.

Visitors are invited to join the Pear Club, entitling them to adopt a pear tree. So far, more than 500 trees have been adopted. All of the pears on the tree belong to the adopters.



Address: 2000 Fuyong Rd

How to get there:

Take the G60 Highway and get off at the Songjiang exit. Turn right onto Rongle Road M., then left onto Renmin Road. Turn right at Meiyuan Road, right onto Jinyu Road and then left on Fuyong Road.Shanghai International Orchids Exhibition Shanghai Chenshan Botanic Park will be featuring delicate orchids in an array of colors and shapes from March 29 to April 22.

More than 50,000 plants in 1,000 species will be on display. They come from across the globe. "The orchid family is a large one, with more than 30,000 species," said botanic park director Hu Yonghong. "The flower was treasured by Chinese royal families in ancient times. Nowadays, it has become common in many homes."

This international flower show will be the first of its kinds on the Chinese mainland.

The orchids on display in Songjiang include some very precious varieties as well as new breeds never seen before here.



Address: Shanghai Chenshan Botanic Park, 3888 Chenhua Rd

How to get there:

By Metro: Dongjing Station, Metro Line 9. Take Bus Songjiang 19 to the Gate No.1 of the botanic park.

By car: Take the G60 Highway and get off at the Songjiang New City exit. Drive along Jiasong Road to the north, then turn left at Chenhua Road.

Or take the G50 Highway and get off at the Zhaoxiang exit. Drive along Jiasong Road to the south, turning right at Chenhua Road.

The parking lot is at the western side of the botanic park's Gate No.1.The Spring Bamboo Shoots Festival

The bamboo shoots gala, which traditionally marks the beginning of spring, is celebrating its 12th anniversary. This year the festival will be held from March 28 to April 6 at the Sheshan Hill National Forest Park.

The opening ceremony will center on the traditional worship of the mountain.

In ancient times, orchids proliferated on Sheshan Hill, attracting hordes of visitors. So many, in fact, that many of the plants were trampled to death.

Local villagers planted bamboo forests to protect the orchids from walkers. In the ensuing years, the flowers and the bamboos came to depend on one another. The bamboos protected the orchids and the fragrance of the orchids lent a uniqueness to the bamboo shoots.

Visitors nowadays can learn how to locate and dig out spring bamboo shoots with the help of local growers. The shoots are used to add texture and flavor to many fine culinary creations.

For those not interested in foraging, processed bamboo shoots are sold in the resort's hotels and restaurants.



Address: Sheshan Hill National Forest Park, Waiqingsong Rd

How to get there:

By Metro: Sheshan Hill Station, Metro Line 9. There are shuttle buses at the station to the forest park.

By car: Take the S20 Highway and get off at the Wuzhong Road Exit. Turn left onto Qixin Road and then right on Husong Road. Turn right onto Sichen Road, and then left into Shebei Road. Sheshan Hill Peach Flower FestivalPink peach blossoms, the eternal emblem of love used by ancient Chinese poets to express their admiration for beauty, are blooming in the city's countryside.

One of the best places to see view this floral display is in the Songjiang District. The blossoming period runs from late March to early April around the Qingming Festival (the Tomb Sweeping Festival).

Covering more than 27 hectares, the Shanghai Zhongyi Peach Park near Sheshan Hill will be open free to the public from March 28 to April 10. There are more than 10 species of peach flowers to view.

It is an ideal place for lovers to exchange sweet nothings and for families to embrace the spring air and get a feel for rural village life in the city's southwestern suburb.

In addition, local farmers sell free-range chicken and eggs to visitors.



Address: 57, Jiangqiu Village, Sheshan Town

How to get there:

Take the S20 Highway and get off at the Wuzhong Road exit. Turn left onto Qixin Road, then right onto Husong Road. Then turn right at Sichen Road and left onto Qianxin Road.