Spring Flowers and Wild Vegetables

T he spring of Shennongjia comes later than that of the city.Different from the artificially manicured green plants and the potted plants that are scraped together,the spring here is more wild and unbridled.Suddenly,flowers bloom in the mountains,and the birds are humming altogether;the vigorous and upright firs,the quaint and fragrant cypresses,and the flickering phoenix trees:they all see off the cold winter.

No matter what season it is,the Peak of Shennongjia is a must-see place.The scenes here have all kinds of magnificent beauties.The bamboos grow,the firs stand,the cuckoos bloom splendidly,and the evergreens stay for all the seasons.When one ascends to the top,viewing the fascinating clouds,they will at once understand and never forget Du Fu’s heroic sentiments of “overlooking all hills from the highest mountain top.”

Azaleas start a new cycle of life in spring.In Golden Monkey Ridge, Xiaolongtan,Dalongtan,and other places in the habitat,the blooming rhododendrons decorate the tall and dense forests more beautifully and bring visitors a visual feast.On the hillside,there are stripes of new green and clusters of red“clouds.” The spring water sizzles, the butterflies dance in the valley,and the bees send a burst of buzz,inviting the visitors to stop and hang around.

In addition to the rhododendron sea,the nationally first-class protected animals,Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys,are happy to embrace the arrival of spring.They are in tune with the spirit of the forest—eating and stalking the green leaves on the branches,unafraid of human beings,creating a picture of harmony.

The wild rhododendron forests in the slab rock, the spurred rhododendrons in the Tianyan scenic spots, and the white rhododendrons are all spring wonders.You should also go to the rainbow bridge to appreciate the rhododendron sea,which will make you feel the dreamy magic and the broadness of nature,growing more and more unconscious of the time.

At sunset,if you have not appreciated enough of the beautiful scenery,it is a great pleasure to enjoy dishes such as fried mountain flowers and spring sprouts,as well as the local“Shennongjia wine.”When you are all in high spirits and eventually go home,you will probably feel this is the life you’ve been pursuing.

杜鹃争艳(冉 超摄)Alpine azalea blossoming on the mountains(Photo by Ran Chao)

春花浪漫，野菜飘香

神农架的春天比城市要来得晚一些，不同于人工修剪整齐的绿植和生拼硬凑出来的盆栽花景，这里大自然的春来得狂野、奔放。一时间，群山万花初放，百鸟齐鸣；苍劲挺拔的冷杉、古朴郁香的岩柏、雍容华贵的娑罗、风度翩翩的珙桐，都抖落了冬的怏然。

无论春夏秋冬，神农顶自然是要去的。这里风貌颇具灵韵，集秀美恢弘于一身，融万种风情为一体，箭竹丛生，冷杉林立，杜鹃吐艳，松柏常青。登神农顶，观云雾奇观，颇有几分“会当凌绝顶，一览众山小”的豪迈，让人热血沸腾，终生难忘。

每年春天，杜鹃花开始新的生命周期，位于栖息地内的金猴岭、小龙潭、大龙潭等地，绽放的杜鹃花把高大浓密的原始森林点缀得更加绚烂美丽。山坡上，一片片新绿与一团团红云交相辉映；山谷里，泉水叮咚，彩蝶翩飞，蜜蜂嘤嗡。如此美妙的视听盛宴，游客纷纷驻足流连。

除了杜鹃花海，金丝猴也喜迎春的到来。它们是原始森林中的精灵，边嬉戏打闹边采食树枝上的嫩芽绿叶，人来不惊，越发活泼，好一幅和谐的自然画卷。

板壁岩大片的野生杜鹃林、天燕景区盛开毛肋杜鹃、粉白杜鹃都是春天奇观，还要去彩虹桥上放眼杜鹃花海，更会让人虚实不分，不知身在何处，忘却时间，只是感受大自然的神奇与博大。

待日薄西山之时，游兴未尽，回到住处，邀三五个好友，炒几盘山花，佐几碟春芽菜，和着一壶“神农架酒”，三杯两盏，微醉而归。如此养生，夫复何求？

行云流水(潘建翔摄)Clouds flowing like a river(Photo by Pan Jianxiang)