Page 3 - JIANGSU

Although often rather short, spring in Jiangsu is a truly splendid time of year. That's because this time of
year represents a chance to enjoy together three essential elements of culture worldwide, but with a uniquely
Jiangsu twist. What are they? Flowers, tea and cuisine!
They are blooming everywhere. It's the time of year when a thousand blossoms burst forth in Jiangsu.
Peach, plum, cherry, you name it; they are nature’s gifts to photographers.

Then there are the Dutch tulips of Yancheng to which we will take you on a virtual visit, as well as to see
other flowers in other places, such as the white magnolias to be found at the Marco Polo Flower World in
Yangzhou.

As the May 1st holiday approaches, the rapeseed also blossoms, turning large swathes of Jiangsu into vast
carpets of yellow: this is the golden opportunities for selfies.

One of our friends, who comes from Wales, has written about Chinese tea for the last eight years. As
something of an expert, he says Jiangsu is a tea province. It's the reason he chose to live here rather than
back in Beijing again.

Jiangsu is the birthplace of Lu Yu, the most famous of all tea writers. And, of course, we also have Yi Xing,
the teapot-making capital of China.

The climate in this diverse province is ideally suited to tea-growing; green tea, specifically, though it’s the
higher-altitude locations that make for the tastiest leaves.

For leaves, it makes sense to start in Nanjing, where Yuhua tea is one fine little secret. As a local tea, Yuhua
tea is common in Nanjing, but a bit more niche elsewhere in China; the smallness of its planting region
means it has not quite reached that tipping point in the public consciousness. In this issue, we take you to
where the Yuhua tea magic happens.

Elsewhere in the province, there is undoubtedly the most famous of Jiangsu's teas. Biluochun tea is an
acquired taste, perhaps, but one that rewards richly when done right.

Also in this issue, we take you to some lesser known, but equally attractive, vaults of culture, history and
science, as our regular feature, Marvellous Museums, continues.

All that, plus a spring helping of that most useful of materials - bamboo. Braised bamboo shoots. Delicious!
Before making a travel plan, it is our duty (and everyone's duty, really) to take a moment to consider
epidemic prevention and control. Please be sensible with travel plans, cooperate with the management of
scenic spots, and do a good job of personal protection, while observing the relevant requirements during this
quickly-changing situation. And thank you!