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.

隨著春天到來，各色花兒在溫暖的氣候中競相綻放了。櫻花、桃花、牡丹、郁金香和一些其他花兒都為這個美好的季節增添了芬芳。

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.

人們紛紛外出踏青賞花。當我們看到嬌艷的花朵第一反應往往都是拍照，發到社交媒體上。其實，中國的古人們也有著他們自己的賞花習俗。

Various ways of admiring flowers

不同的賞花方式

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.

五代十國時期(公元907-960年)，傳說官員韓熙載喜歡插花焚香，他喜歡花香和熏香相和那種妙不可言的味道。這種賞花方式在宋代(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)時，人們更喜歡在被鮮花包圍的環境里誦詩或者小酌。音樂和花也很配，宋代的文人雅士們喜歡對花撫琴。不同樂器要配不同的花兒。據古書記載，像茉莉這樣高雅的花配七弦琴就很協調。

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.

中國歷史上唯一的女皇——唐朝的武則天也愛花成癡。古洛陽的牡丹花名揚天下，每年牡丹花開之際，她都會舉行慶賞活動，宴飲歌賦。

Flower petals as cushions

花瓣坐墊

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.

據史書記載，唐朝學士許慎選很好客。每年春天他都喜歡請親朋好友到花園里看花觀景，參加宴會。只是，他的宴席不設座位，仆人收集花園里掉落的花瓣，然后鋪在地上，來了客人就坐在這些花瓣墊子上。

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.

古代文人雅士們郊游賞花，他們吃什么呢?據經典文學《浮生六記》里頭記載，當時有個想去郊區賞花的文人很喜歡吃餛飩，所以他請一個賣餛飩的攤販和他及朋友們一起春游。這樣，文人們賞花吟詩，小販就在邊上準備熱騰騰的美食，也算兩全其美。

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.

賞花是人生一大樂事 。從古至今流傳下來了許多與花兒有關的詩句美文，回味這些美好的詩句能提高人們賞花的體驗。