Culture Bridge 20150322

Free talk: Hey guys, how are you doing this week, are you busy in your study? Did you see the flowers in our school everywhere? Do you like flowers? Which kind of flowers attracts you most? Do you know Cherry blossoms? I know there are some Cherry blossom trees in our university, and I heard it is very famous in Wuhan University, but I haven`t been there before, I hope I can have a chance to get there. Today let`s talk something about Cherry blossoms. A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is called Sakura after the Japanese. Cherry blossom is speculated to be native to the Himalayas. Currently it is widely distributed, especially in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere such as: Europe, West Siberia, South Korea, China, Japan, United States, etc. Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit. Edible cherries generally come from cultivars of the related species Prunus avium and Prunus cerasus. Hanami festivals celebrate the beauty of the cherry blossom and for many a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. The custom of Hanami dates back many centuries in Japan. The eighth-century chronicle Nihon Shoki records Hanami festivals being held as early as the third century AD. Most Japanese schools and public buildings have cherry blossom trees outside of them. Since the fiscal and school year both begin in April, in many parts of Honshū, the first day of work or school coincides with the cherry blossom season. Symbolism In Japan, cherry blossoms also symbolize clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse, besides being an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life, an aspect of Japanese cultural tradition that is often associated with Buddhist influence, and which is embodied in the concept of mono no aware. The association of the cherry blossom with mono no aware dates back to 18th-century scholar Motoori Norinaga. The transience of the blossoms, the extreme beauty and quick death, has often been associated with mortality; for this reason, cherry blossoms are richly symbolic, and have been utilized often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect. There is at least one popular folk song, originally meant for the shakuhachi (bamboo flute), titled "Sakura", and several pop songs. The flower is also represented on all manner of consumer goods in Japan, including kimono, stationery, and dishware. Japan has a wide variety of cherry blossoms (Sakura); well over 200 cultivars can be found there. The most popular variety of cherry blossom in Japan is the Somei Yoshino. Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. They bloom and usually fall within a week, before the leaves come out. Therefore, the trees look nearly white from top to bottom. The variety takes its name from the village of Somei (now part of Toshima in Tokyo). It was developed in the mid- to late-19th century at the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period. The Somei Yoshino is so widely associated with cherry blossoms that jidaigeki and other works of fiction often depict the variety in the Edo period or earlier; such depictions are anachronisms. Winter Sakura begins to bloom in the fall and continues blooming sporadically throughout the winter. It is said to be a cross between two attractive cherries. Sakura in China Cherry trees naturally grow in the middle northern or southern part of China, the area nearby the sea. However, the most famous cherry blossom parks in China reflect Japan's brief occupation of parts of China during the first half of the 20th century or the donation from Japan thereafter. Longwangtang Cherry Blossom Park is a park in Longwangtang Subdistrict, Lushunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.The cherry trees, planted downstream from the dam built by the Japanese in 1921, come into full bloom in late April, is one of the two most famous cherry blossom parks in China, the other being East Lake Cherry Blossom Park in Wuhan, Hubei. East Lake Cherry Blossom Park , also called Wuhan Moshan Cherry Blossom Park, is a park in the East Lake area of Wuchang District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The Japanese cherry trees were planted in this area near Wuhan University during the Japanese Army's occupation of Wuhan, and were continued to be planted after the Second World War. It is one of the two most famous cherry blossom parks in China, the other being Longwangtang Cherry Blossom Park in Lushunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning. Last talk: Will you guys start to like Sakura after that?