Editor’s note: The Zhongshan Mountain has a long history and rich cultural heritage, and is thus known as the “Most Culturally Important Mountain in Chinese Cities”. Its attractions include the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, which is a world cultural heritage site, and Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, which has been included in the world cultural heritage sites tentative list. From now on, to help foreigners know about the Zhongshan Mountain, the scenic area will regularly introduce its ecological and cultural beauty to the world in multiple languages, and diseminate fine traditional Chinese culture.

Just like spring comes first in the year, plum trees bloom earlier than all other plants. Ranking first among the “four most elegant flowers”, which symbolize noble and unsullied spirit, plum blossoms have been loved by literati since ancient times.

As early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), there was a plum blossom attraction called Meihuawu at the foot of the Zhongshan Mountain. It was a plum garden of the Ming imperial court, and the plums yielded were used as a sacrificial offering by the court. Each plum tree was attached with a wooden plate bearing the characters meaning “for imperial use only”. Due to the harsh criminal laws in the Ming Dynasty, no one dared to pick the flowers, so the plum blossoms were luxuriant. However, after the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), Meihuawu was gradually deserted.

At the foot of the Zhongshan Mountain today, there is a plum blossom scenic spot far superior to the Meihuawu of the past. It is the Plum Blossom Hill. 

Located within the Ming Tomb Scenic Area, which is a world cultural heritage site, the hill is the only plum blossom viewing destination in China that enjoys such a unique location, integrating natural landscape with historical and cultural elements. With a total area of about 100 hactares, the hill has more than 35,000 plum trees of about 380 varieties, including 155 internationally registered ones. 

At present, the Plum Blossom Hill ranks among the top in China in terms of plum-planting history, scale, quantity and variety, as well as natural and cultural richness. With undulating terrain, it is known as the “No. One Plum Garden in China”.