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 Welcoming the onset of a beautiful, but windy springtime, Beijing swiftly casts away its cloak of bleakness and the lingering threat of sandstorms. This winter in Beijing was the warmest winter in Beijing's history and this year is the first year in many that Beijing did not experience one decent sandstorm. Yes, everyone, now that it is over halfway through May, the threat of sandstorms has more or less passed. The only sandstorm Beijing experienced was washed away in it's infancy by gentle rains that occurred exactly at the right time. Meanwhile, my contacts in Shanghai informed me that they were shut inside their buildings looking outside at a brown haze enveloping the city from the sandstorm. Expecting that I could understand and share in their grief, I cheerfully explained that I saw no sign of sand and I had heard in the news that a timely shower from the heavens had stopped the sandstorm in its tracks before hitting Beijing.
Despite the winter miseries I suffered, having come from sunny California, I am glad to say that I am thankful to Beijing for allowing me a kinder winter and a gentle spring. Now if only, those crazy Mongolian winds would go away, or if Beijing would build some wind farms (not in the flight path of birds/bats/etc.) to make use of that bountiful natural resource. Flowers and trees are coming back to life everywhere throughout the city and one of the best places to witness this awakening is in Beijing's Botanical Garden, located near Fragrant Mountain, for many reasons... (Simplified) 欢迎春天的来临，北京把它灰色的披肩丢去。现在五月已过了大半，风沙的危险也越来越少了。小花大树也一一的活跃起来了。北京植物园在北京香山附近。这个时期是去北京植物园的好其间。 (Traditional) 歡迎春天的來臨，北京把它灰色的披肩丟去。 現在五月已過了大半，風沙的危險也越來越少了。 小花大樹也一一的活躍起來了。 北京植物園在北京香山附近。 這個時期是去北京植物園的好其間。
 Beijing's Botanical Garden is one of those places that tourists don't know about, therefore even during the weekends, the crowds are much more manageable than the nearby Fragrant Mountain. Taking my Essay Teacher's advice, we grabbed a few friends and spent a lovely weekend day at the Botanical Garden. The Garden is quite large and covers about 56.4 hectares, with lakes, flowers, trees, and a hothouse. Admission to the Garden was 5 RMB. This admission does not cover the hothouse and other interesting sights inside the Garden. You will have to buy more tickets to see those places once inside the Garden.
(Simplified) 北京的植物园大多只有老北京才知道。游客通常不会知道的。就因此，那里的人群少于附近的香山多了。按照我写作教授的建议，我们找了几个朋友，一起去植物园赏花。植物园很大，将近有56.4公顷还有湖，花，树，和暖房。植物园的门票大约5元，记得要带你的学生证。植物园的门票不包括暖房和别公园内的特点。若想参观植物园内的别的景点还得到现场再买门票。但我们买好了门票，进了植物园，我们发现里面的子都是双语的，有英语也有汉语，特别方便。 (Traditional) 北 京的植物園大多只有老北京才知道。 遊客通常不會知道的。 就因此，那裡的人群少於附近的香山多了。 按照我寫作教授的建議，我們找了幾個朋友，一起去植物園賞花。 植物園很大，將近有56.4公頃還有湖，花，樹，和暖房。 植物園的門票大約5元到10元，記得要帶你的學生證。 植物園的門票不包括暖房和別公園內的特點。 若想參觀植物園內的別的景點還得到現場再買門票。 但我們買好了門票，進了植物園，我們發現裡面的子都是雙語的，有英語也有漢語， 特別方便。 
Inside the garden was an impressive view of a lake and numerous blossom trees by its bank. We walked straight into the park, alongside the large lake surrounded by willow trees and blossom trees. There were little paths that wound around the lake a little beyond the bank where these trees were planted. Taking a stroll down this path we passed by groups of people, little couples, or the lone photographer. Every one of these people seemed to have a light-hearted smile on their lips and moved around energetically, taking photos of each other, from tree to tree and blossom to blossom. One of the cutest sights that we saw, was a little couple sitting on the edge of the lake blowing bubbles over the lake. (Simplified) 植物园里有一个大湖，湖边围着美丽的樱花树。我们望湖边走，看到了很多柳树和樱花树。湖边的小道路走了很多人，有小两口，有群群的朋友们和家人，也有独自的摄影师。他们每一个人都带着微笑也蹦蹦跳跳的赏花。我们看到一个特别可爱的情景是一对男女坐在湖边吹小泡泡。 (Traditional) 植物園裡有一個大湖，湖邊圍著美麗的櫻花樹。 我們望湖邊走，看到了很多柳樹和櫻花樹。 湖邊的小道路走了很多人，有小兩口，有群群的朋友們和家人，也有獨自的攝影師。 他們每一個人都帶著微笑也蹦蹦跳跳的賞花。 我們看到一個特別可愛的情景是一對男女坐在湖邊吹小泡泡。
Nearing the end of the lake, we cross a bridge towards groves of more blossom trees. With each coming breeze, a rain of blossoms would fall from these trees, as if the Garden were snowing flowers. Besides blossom trees, there were many other types of flowers and plants in the Garden as well as a view historical structures. You could see photographer after photographer taking photos of these plants. Most of them were quite gentle with their equipment, however I did spot a photographer who climbed into a patch of tulips to take photos, squatting down for a closer shot, whilst crushing a very lovely purplish-blue tulip that I wanted to take a photo of. After he finished his shots, he looked my way and I told him that he squashed the only purple-blue tulip amidst a grove of orange-yellow ones that I wanted to take a photo of. Apologetically he reached down to the tulip and tried his best to straighten it. Unfortunately the tulip had undergone such shock and abuse, one from being bent and the other possibly having to smell his abdomen, that it could only manage to slouch upright.  (Simplified) 走到湖的尽头我么跨过了一座桥。小桥后面的道路带我们到一个两边都是樱花的树林。微风一吹的时候，树底下掉满了小樱花，好像下了一场花色的雪。除了樱花树以外，还有许多别的古迹和花草。很多摄影师在花群里拍摄。大多的摄影师尽量避免伤害环境。但是也有些素质低的摄影师。在郁金香的花群里有一位摄影师拍摄。但是它忽略环境，踩进花群里，蹲下来，拍摄，把一个紫蓝色的郁金香压扁了。当他拍完了，他忘我的方向看，我跟他说他把那唯一一朵郁金香花压死了。他不好意思地伸出手把那朵花挺直。但是那朵花是挺不直了，它就可怜的软酥酥倒在那儿。可怜的小花儿，不致被压迫，还要忍受那个人的屁股的空气污染。 (Traditional) 走 到湖的盡頭我麼跨過了一座橋。 小橋後面的道路帶我們到一個兩邊都是櫻花的樹林。 微風一吹的時候，樹底下掉滿了小櫻花，好像下了一場花色的雪。 除了櫻花樹以外，還有許多別的古蹟和花草。 很多攝影師在花群裡拍攝。 大多的攝影師盡量避免傷害環境。 但是也有些素質低的攝影師。 在鬱金香的花群裡有一位攝影師拍攝。 但是它忽略環境，踩進花群裡，蹲下來，拍攝，把一個紫藍色的鬱金香壓扁了。 當他拍完了，他忘我的方向看，我跟他說他把那唯一一朵鬱金香花壓死了。 他不好意思地伸出手把那朵花挺直。 但是那朵花是挺不直了，它就可憐的軟酥酥倒在那兒。 可憐的小花兒，不致被壓迫，還要忍受那個人的屁股的空氣污染。  One of the most interesting phenomenons we witnessed were with the local Chinese ladies. They loved to take photos with the flowers and blossoms. Oftentimes to the point of stepping onto the soil, which is actually detrimental to the nearby plants, because due to the weight of humans, stepping onto soil actually packs it in tightly, greatly decreasing the amount of air and water that can seep into the soil, decreasing the chances that their roots can receive moisture from the soil. Then after they have come in range with their targetted blossoms, they grab the branch with their not so dainty hands, and in one-sweeping motion, force the branch right in front of their face, positioned slight under their chin, or lips, but as close to their cheek as possible. With this practiced fluid motion, one can almost hear the screams of each little blossom as it gets ripped from its home to fall tragically upon the tightly packed soil. To add insult to injury, the lady, after being satisfied of her photo with the lucky remaining blossoms, feeling as if she was like a gentle flower, hobbles back over to the path in her heels too high to go to a park with, crushing those little tragic blossoms that she ripped off. To think, that mere minutes ago, those flowers were in the beautiful prime of their scented life, and in an instant be reduced to mutilated corpses upon the ground.  (Simplified) 我们遇到的另一件奇怪的现象是那许多的中国女性照相的习惯。她们特别爱跟花朵照相。他们通常会不顾环境的踩进土地。其实踩在土地上会带给附近的植物不好的牵动。这是因为人的体重压在土壤上会把土壤压得太紧，水和空气将后进不了土壤里。植物将吸收不到水和营养。当她们终于到达花边，她们满不温柔的把花朵抓到她们面前，把她们的脸贴在花边，微笑的排她们的相。她们着一个似乎熟练的行动把花朵洒的偏低都是。这些悲惨的花朵掉到了地上之后还会被这些女性的高跟鞋蹒跚的惨不忍睹。回想，几分钟之前那些花朵是多么美丽芳香，刹那之间变成了摧毁的尸体。 (Traditional) 我們遇到的另一件奇怪的現像是那許多的中國女性照相的習慣。 她們特別愛跟花朵照相。 他們通常會不顧環境的踩進土地。 其實踩在土地上會帶給附近的植物不好的牽動。 這是因為人的體重壓在土壤上會把土壤壓得太緊，水和空氣將後進不了土壤裡。 植物將吸收不到水和營養。 當她們終於到達花邊，她們滿不溫柔的把花朵抓到她們面前，把她們的臉貼在花邊， 微笑的排她們的相。 她們著一個似乎熟練的行動把花朵灑的偏低都是。 這些悲慘的花朵掉到了地上之後還會被這些女性的高跟鞋蹣跚的慘不忍睹。 回想，幾分鐘之前那些花朵是多麼美麗芳香，剎那之間變成了摧毀的屍體。
An old residence within the Garden is of literary significance. This residence was the suspected temporary abode of the author of one of China's four greatest classics "Dream of the Red Chamber", in pinyin as Hónglóu mèng. This authors given name is Cao Zhan, his Chinese name in pinyin is Cáo Xuěqín. This discovery, according to my Essay Professor, was that someone had moved into the little residence and decided to redo the wallpaper. The man began to peel off the existing wallpaper and discovered writing on the original wall beneath. The writing looked very aged and he sought experts for their opinions. After much analysis, it appears the writing dated back to the period of the author's lifetime, and the text on the wall matches well from that of his texts. They also determined that he had lived there for a short part of his life before moving on to the south. To view this exhibit within the Garden, you must pay for an additional entry ticket at the site. (Simplified) 植物园里有一个古迹跟中国的四大名著有关。那就是红楼梦的作者，曹雪芹，曾经的住处。这个发是当住在那儿的人决定要重新贴墙纸，当他把墙纸给撕下来，他发现了一些字在墙上。他通知了专家，专家断定墙上的字是曹雪芹写得，而且他还在那里住了一段时间。若想看这个展览得要到现场买门票。 (Traditional) 植物園裡有一個古蹟跟中國的四大名著有關。 那就是紅樓夢的作者，曹雪芹，曾經的住處。 這個發是當住在那兒的人決定要重新貼牆紙，當他把牆紙給撕下來，他發現了一些字在牆上。 他通知了專家，專家斷定牆上的字是曹雪芹寫得，而且他還在那裡住了一段時間。 若想看這個展覽得要到現場買門票。
This photograph of a painting in this exhibit depicts the residences as they used to be, before this area became a Botanical Garden. (S) 这张相片描画了植物园之前的住宅区。(T) 這張相片描畫了植物園之前的住宅區。 This is a photograph of the wall that held the authors writing. (S) 这张相片是曹雪芹写的强。(T) 這張相片是曹雪芹寫的強。 This is probrably a depiction of a scene from the novel. (S) 这张相片可能是红楼梦里的一个情景。(T) 這張相片可能是紅樓夢裡的一個情景。  All in all, our experience at the Botanical Garden was light-hearted and relaxed. The crowd was large, but manageable. Unfortunately we did not have time to enter the hothouse, so I cannot comment on that. (S) 总的来说，我们在植物园的经验很好。大多数的人有礼貌，人群虽然多但不会难受。只可惜我们的时间不够去暖房，所以我不能提供暖房的信息。 (T) 總的來說，我們在植物園的經驗很好。 大多數的人有禮貌，人群雖然多但不會難受。 只可惜我們的時間不夠去暖房，所以我不能提供暖房的信息。 View Beijing Botanical Garden directory entry .
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