West Bank Flower Exploration

Shanghai Flower Viewing｜Winter Jasmine｜West Bank Riverside The afternoon drizzle hasn't quite cleared, yet I set off again on the flower-seeking journey. In past years around this time, the magnolia grove between Joe Coffee and KFC on the West Bank would already be a snowy white, with purple haze filling the sky and a faint, delicate fragrance drifting in the air. However, today's magnolia grove left Wu a bit disappointed. Most of the buds on the branches are still waiting to bloom, like little fists wrapped in fuzz, stubbornly resisting the lingering chill of early spring. Occasionally, a few half-open flowers appear, their petals looking reserved, as if hesitating whether to fully bloom. A glance here and there, and a fresh splash of green catches the eye. Those are several hydrangea shrubs, their flowers tightly clustered into a lush green ball, becoming even more vibrant and dripping with life after the rain’s wash. Watching this lively greenery, the disappointment in my heart gradually turns into joy. Sitting inside KFC, a burst of golden yellow catches my eye. The winter jasmine on the opposite wall has quietly bloomed at some unknown time, with slender branches hanging like a waterfall, dotted with tender yellow flowers gently swaying in the breeze. Each flower looks like a tiny bell, as if playing the prelude to spring. The air after the rain is especially fresh, and walking by the riverside feels exceptionally pleasant. Although I didn’t see the expected sea of magnolia flowers, I unexpectedly discovered the charm of spring in other ways.