The Editorial:

The unexpected epidemic pressed the pause button on the activities and courses at Yangxian Xishan. Many have to give up the spring outing, and some could not have the business trip or go hiking. Due to the epidemic, this spring is less in joy as usual. While time flies, flowers withered and the summer is quietly coming.

In such a special spring, how do Xishan residents live their lives?

01|

 Early Spring in the Yard

Ms. Ma, a teacher from Beijing, is one of old students of Yada Academy. She is very busy in the whole weekend, for she applied almost all courses of the Academy. According to her, before retirement she was occupied by work, and now she had time to fulfill her hobbies and interests. Due to the epidemic, classes were suspended. She had to stay at home. Her house locating at Lake Housing Cluster has a yard. At the delivery, the yard had been furnished with bridges, running water and lush plants like a garden, which made her very surprise. Since then, she called it "Yuanzi". In the yard, Ms. Ma plants Chinese snowball and prunus mume that she likes.

The Yard has become the Peach Garden of Ms. Ma.

|Chinese snowball is blooming at Ms. Ma's Yard

It is the best season for Chinese snowball. In every day, she expects them to bloom. In her eyes, Chinese snowball is her early spring.

In sunny days, these flowers are blooming, better than last year. After the morning jogging, Ms. Ma drinks a cup of coffee at the corridor and enjoy the white Chinese snowball joyfully. One day, a butterfly dances through the flowers for a long time. She recorded it and posted in the Moments. Maples in the Yard are charmingly red. With the white walls and grey tiles as the background, it is like a piece of painting.

Ms. Ma is very satisfied with the life in the yard. She likes to invite friends and neighbors and made noodles by herself at home. Neighbors talk about family matters, have a little drink and cheers for better life. She said, she liked the clinks of glasses. That is the sound of a family.

02|

Homely Taste of Yangxian Xishan

Madam An, in the 70s, is the oldest studnet of Qin Class at Yada Academy. For Qin class is suspended at weekend, in the near one month, she and her husband went to their friend Ms. Zhang's house, 10 minutes driving away from Yangxian Xishan. Ms. Zhang, the niece of good friends of An's husband, works in the downtown during the working days. At weekend, Ms. Zhang and her husband go to the countryside for rest. Ms. Zhang is good at cooking and friendly. She called Madam An's hustband uncle. They made dumplings at home. The stuffing was made by Ms. Le, a painter, one of friends of Ms. Zhang, according to traditional north meathod. Madam An pressed the wrappers. Her husband wrap dumplings with others. All people were so happy like a big family.

Madam An's husband is native to Yixing. But he is very good at wraping dumpings. Dishes made by Ms. Zhang are local cuisine. Mr. Zhao asked the cooking methods of dishes that he was familiar with. He told us the dishes cooked by his grand mother in his childhood. The taste would never be forgotten. He tried many times. But the taste was not the same with that in his memory.

After retirement, Mr. Zhao settled in Yixing, his hometown. He always invited friends to Yangxian Xishan, and told them the happiness there when talking over the phone. Due to the epidemic, Mr. Zhao gave up the plan visiting his grandson in Beijing. He shared the video that his grandson learnt English with others. The child spoke English very fluently. At Yangxian Xishan, Madam An and her husband went to Hufu Street to buy vegetables. After a period, they well knew which store sold the frest vegetables or is good at cooking noodles. Mr. Zhao cooked for Madam An. The common material was the most delicious for her.

|At Weekend, Madam An Dug Bamboo Shoots with Friends In Mountains.

03|

A Lush Spring

Professor Lu, from Beijing, likes exercise. She applied Taiji Class of Yada Academy for two successive semesters. Due to the class suspended, she went to the garden of Lake Housing Cluster to do Taiji with neighbors. In the morning, Yangxian Xishan is full of spring landscape. Each movement helped thme to relax the body and the mind, enjoying the beauty of the nature.

|Professor Lu did Taiji with Neighbors

The Moment of Professor Lu updates the growth process of her florals and plants. From Beijing to Yangxian Xishan, her work changes from the desk study to plantation that composes her daily life. 

"The first rose in this year."

"Morning！Azalea blooms better after fertilization."

"My clematis blossoms!"

"Friend's rose banksiae blooms. I cut two branches in the morning. Arrange them in the pot. Flower fragrance mixes with tea aroma."

A yard is the home of florals and the place of spring.

Before retirement, Professor Lu taught the graduate students. After retirement, florals and plants at Yangxian Xishan has become the integral part in her life. 

|Clematis in Professor Lu's Moment

04|

Happy Garden

Spring is the best season for ploughing and weeding.

Ms. Xu's garden has the most varieties in Lake Housing Cluster of Yada Yangxian Xishan. During the epidemic, she contributed more efforts on it. When we met her at the first time, she was planting the strawberry like a real farmer. She lay the strawberry seeds into the earth and supported plastic griddings very carefully. In the garden, garlic bolt, Chinese chives and coriander were growing very well. The beans have bloomed. Oilseed and orange trees also grew vigorously.

In Ms. Xu's garden, you could understand what Ms. Tao Yuanming said about the countryside life in his poems. The sunshine is a bit hot after the noon. Ms. Xu was kneading the earth. Sweat streamed down from her forehead. But she did not feel tired. In the back yard, she planted many trees and plants, such as nandian and maple trees. The red wintersweet trees that had been there since the delivery now had fruit. 

She also cultivated more than 20 rare tomato varieties, and colorful sweet peppers and carrots. When she introduced the new seedlings, she was so excited like she was talking about the growth of a child. In such a spring that hiking was impossible, Ms. Xu planted her vegetables and seeded the beauty and hope.

|New Tomato Buds

05|

Days with Qin

Ms. Chi from Beijing likes Qin and is one student of Qin Class of Yada Academy. After the Spring Festival, he moved his Qin and matched table from Beijing to Yangxian Xishan. He was very familiar with the schools of Chinese Qin. In the class, he learned from the teacher. At home, he practiced according to the music score.

Out of the window, bamboo sways with the wind. Azalea has bloomed. Mr. Chi played Autumn Wind expertly. Although in the spring, the sound has different charm. When playing  Methomania, he exchanged with his classmate Ms. Xu on fingering, and tried different skills for different sounds.

On his table, there is a Xishan Qin. It introduces 24 aesthetics ranges on Qin art, including harmony, peace, clearness and distance, which also reflect the relationship betweem him and Qin.

His wife Ms. Bai likes bakery. Everyday bread was baked by herself. Bakery does not only bring joy for the family, but also make life healthier. Mr. Chi likes to play football. When he is back from the playground, the house is full of bakery fragrance, making the spring warmer.

06|

Cozy Life in Miniscape

Mr. Jiang, living in Mountain Housing Cluster, like the miniscape. His yard is more like a big park for miniscape with rockeries, waters and lush plants. 

When we interviewed him, Mr. Jiang was just back from the swimming and arranged his miniscape. Buxus bodinieri is the main role in his collections. There are also some orchid. All plants are not easy to grow. He said, these miniscape should be placed in the space that could be seen. That is convinient for him to watch the growth condition. He also concluded a set of experience to shape the buxus bodinieri, making the shape more natural. In the miniscape, there are many figures, sitting or reading. They create leisure and elegant life.

Mr. Jiang feeds many koi fish in his yard. According to his rich experience, the water should be from the nature without cleaning agent. He added that, it should make fish to adapt the condition, not change the environment for them. In addition, the water and air in Yangxian Xishan is so good. All fishes in his pond are vivid. The joy of feed fish is also the joy of being.

07|

Pottery Life in the Nature

Due to the epidemic, Mr. Long, one resident of Cloud Housing Cluster of Yangxian Xishan, cannot return to Shanghai as plan. For his interest in Yixing pottery, Mr. Long is working in the field of purple sands creation for long years. Hand-made purple sands pots by him are very popular in the field. In early years, he published a works collection, with the preface by Mr. Wang Han.

His studio at Yangxian Xishan is named "Yi Sundries Store". The first floor was inclosed by a special wattled wall. It was decorated with Chinese littleleaf box, lawn and Tai Lake stones. He often rests in the clean and elegant yard,  enjoying the change of time and the leisure of nature with a cigar and a pot of tea. In recent days, Mr. Long carved several purple sand pots and made some pottery works. One of them is a lucid ganoderma shaped article with huge charms.

|Landscape of Yangxian Xishan, Taken by Mr. Long

At Yangxian Xishan, Mr. Long walks in Lakeside Park and recorded the beautiful landscape conveniently. At some times, he went to Hufu town to experience the joy of digging bamboo shots.

08|

Camping Time by Yangxian Lake

The resident of Lake Housing Cluster Ms. Xiao went camping at Lakeside Park with her friends. 

Due to the epidemic, many families go camping by Yangxian Lake at the weekend. It is just a few tens of kilometers away from the downtown.  Children fly kates in the lawn. The adults had a barbecue, cooked coffee and talked with each other. In this spring, camping has become one of popular activities. It is called "mountain life". 

|Ms. Xiao and Her Friends

|Camping at Yangxian Xishan

Postscript:

Epidemic had influence in the colorful life at Yangxian Xishan. However everyone is positive to the current life. We expect the epidemic to end as early as possible and meet your poetic life at Yangxian Xishan.