Beijing, A Capital of Roses

Beijing, A Capital of Roses

October 24, 2010

Roses, and especially red roses, are one of the symbols of Beijing as appreciated by its residents as any of the significant buildings that make the city famous. In the financial and business districts, glorious beds of red roses feature in verges along major roads - the ring roads - and are expertly tended in private and corporate gardens. In the warmer months, trellises all across the city display abundant blooms of rambling roses. Now it is Autumn, and the bushes are producing the last of their flowers before winter, still adding vibrancy to the cityscape.

BEIJING A CAPITAL OF ROSES AND CHINA'S LIVING DISPLAYS

Jostling with more than 19 million people and their demands for roads, houses and factories, the citizens of this ancient city take delight in gardens and growing plants. Fresh water is recognised as a precious limited resource in Beijing but the authorities seem to plan for the water needs of the gardens. The China Foreign Affairs University has a plant nursery and several small rose gardens on the property are maintained as precious residents. Visitors at the university’s lodging are reminded by a sign in their guest room, “The flowers in the garden need your water, please use less water.”

It is Autumn, and the rose is losing its blooming prominence. In its place the flower of Autumn, the Chrysanthemum is gaining prominence in showy arrangements that keep the colours of nature visible in this bustling international city. With ongoing care, the roses will survive the winter and break with new buds in the spring.