The magnolia blossoms at Longhua Temple have bloomed.

Shanghai Flower Viewing | White Magnolia | Longhua Temple Year after year, I always seemed to miss the magnolias at Longhua Temple. Hearing that they were blooming this year, I couldn't resist and hurried over. Turning past the last main hall, two white magnolia trees suddenly came into view. One stretched its branches at an angle, presenting its pure white blossoms right before my eyes. The petals, layer upon layer, resembled jade cups offered before Buddha, filled with the first rain of spring. The other tree grew stubbornly upwards, its dense blossoms pointing towards the sky, forcing onlookers to crane their necks. Sunlight filtered through the petals, casting dappled shadows on the ground, like the Sanskrit characters dancing in Buddhist scriptures. The magnolias in front of the yellow wall are indeed different from those elsewhere. Perhaps it's from listening to the morning and evening bells and drums daily, or maybe they've absorbed some of the Buddhist essence, but their white isn't ordinary; it possesses a transcendent clarity. The edges of the petals are tinged with a faint gold, as if gilded by Buddha's light. A gentle breeze carries a blend of floral and sandalwood scents, making it hard to distinguish whether the flowers have taken on the temple's fragrance or the temple has been infused with the fragrance of the flowers.