With the arrival of spring, flowers are blooming in the warm air. Cherry and peach blossoms, peonies, tulips and many other flowers are adding fragrance to the beautiful season.
随着春天到来，各色花儿在温暖的气候中竞相绽放了。樱花、桃花、牡丹、郁金香和一些其他花儿都为这个美好的季节增添了芬芳。
People are taking spring outings to admire the flowers. While, our first thought when we see beautiful flowers is to take photos and post them on social media platforms, ancient people in China had their own ways of admiring flowers.
人们纷纷外出踏青赏花。当我们看到娇艳的花朵第一反应往往都是拍照，发到社交媒体上。其实，中国的古人们也有着他们自己的赏花习俗。
Various ways of admiring flowers
不同的赏花方式
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960), it is said that the official Han Xizai loved to burn incense near a flower vase because he liked the combination of the fragrance of flowers and incense. Using flowers in this way was popular during Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties.
五代十国时期(公元907-960年)，传说官员韩熙载喜欢插花焚香，他喜欢花香和熏香相和那种妙不可言的味道。这种赏花方式在宋代(960年到1279年)和元代(1271年到1368年)也很流行。
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), people preferred to chant or sip wine while being surrounded by flowers. Music also goes well with flowers and refined scholars in Song Dynasty loved to play music to flowers. The musical instruments were thought to match different kinds of flowers. According to ancient book records, elegant flowers such as jasmine went well with the musical instrument heptachord.
唐朝(公元618到907年)时，人们更喜欢在被鲜花包围的环境里诵诗或者小酌。音乐和花也很配，宋代的文人雅士们喜欢对花抚琴。不同乐器要配不同的花儿。据古书记载，像茉莉这样高雅的花配七弦琴就很协调。
China’s only female emperor Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty was obsessed with flowers. The peony in ancient Luoyang was quite famed and each year when peonies flowered, she would hold celebrations and feasts.
中国历史上唯一的女皇——唐朝的武则天也爱花成痴。古洛阳的牡丹花名扬天下，每年牡丹花开之际，她都会举行庆赏活动，宴饮歌赋。
Flower petals as cushions
花瓣坐垫
According to historical records, Tang Dynasty scholar Xu Shenxuan was very hospitable and each spring he would invite relatives and friends to the garden to see the flowers and feast. However, instead of seats, servants collect falling petals in the garden for guests to sit on as cushions.
据史书记载，唐朝学士许慎选很好客。每年春天他都喜欢请亲朋好友到花园里看花观景，参加宴会。只是，他的宴席不设座位，仆人收集花园里掉落的花瓣，然后铺在地上，来了客人就坐在这些花瓣垫子上。
When scholars went on a spring outing, how did they eat meals? According to ancient classic Six Chapters of a Floating Life, there was a scholar who wanted to go to a suburb to admire flowers, and he liked to eat hundun (dumplings served in soup) a lot, so he invited a stall keeper to come with him and his friends. That way, they could admire flowers and talk about poetry, and the stall keeper could prepare hot meals for them aside at the same time.
古代文人雅士们郊游赏花，他们吃什么呢?据经典文学《浮生六记》里头记载，当时有个想去郊区赏花的文人很喜欢吃馄饨，所以他请一个卖馄饨的摊贩和他及朋友们一起春游。这样，文人们赏花吟诗，小贩就在边上准备热腾腾的美食，也算两全其美。
Admiring flowers is one of life’s delights. Flowers have inspired so much beautiful poetry that has been passed down from ancient times, recalling some of the best poems can enhance the experience of admiring flowers.
赏花是人生一大乐事 。从古至今流传下来了许多与花儿有关的诗句美文，回味这些美好的诗句能提高人们赏花的体验。
