March 28th, the 12th day of the second lunar month, is the “flower festival.” The morning of this day in 2018 saw the Opening Ceremony of Jiangnan Flower Festival, or the Launching Ceremony for Yucheng Sakura season at Fangta Park in Changshu.

Along with the traditional drumbeats and the flora dance performances, the 2018 Jiangnan Flower Festival or the Yucheng Sakura Season unveiled itself. Taking “Flowery Jiangnan, Blessed Changshu” as its theme, this very first Jiangnan flower festival launched a visual feast of flowers, integrating the resources of local folk customs such as flower appreciation, and spring outing. During the festival, there were staged the 27th Peony Festival of the Shang Lake, “China Tourism Day” Changshu Theme Activity entitled “Flowery Youth, Colorful Running,” the 6th Changshu Citizen Hiking and Flower Viewing Convention, the 1st Shajiabang Wetland Orchid Festival, as well as the 16th Folklore Festival of “Ah-ching Sao,” etc.

At the opening ceremony, the sitcom “Wu Zetian Cruising Jiangnan”was performed. Along the Fangta business district at the same time, snacks featuring Jiangnan characteristics attracted lots of visitors, all amazed at the “searching the local cuisine hidden in the alleys." Villages and towns of Changshu introduced more than thirty kinds of local flavors, such as the sweet green rice ball, the fermented glutinous rice cake, the pancake, plum cake, and chicken braised with special spices.

Equally noteworthy were the recitals of the guzheng, pipa, pingtan, as well as the arts of teas coupled with the interactive activity of time-honored poetics. And what presented the sakura season a lasting page in the personal memoir were “sakura for you” photography, “ Fangta Rhyme” poetry reading, “fragrant flora dancing,” “solar experience day” event, potted stone landscaping, and the 18th Fangta Camellia Exhibition, etc.