On March 5, the Cherry blossoms in Wuhan University bloomed.

This year, WHU introduced a new Internet Reservation System to put a cap on daily entrances. Even so, the grandeur of WHU’s ancient architecture, at the time when the Cherry blossom is blooming in profusion, still attracted tourists in their droves.

The Cherry trees we see today were a gift from Japan as a token of friendship when the two countries reinstated diplomatic relations in 1972. The first Cherry blossoms in Wuhan University, cultivated by Japanese troops in the 1930s, died out in the 1950s.

Under the dome of the sprawling cherry tree branches, the coiling and uncoiling clouds of Cherry blossoms, white and pink, shrivel in gusts of wind.

On March 8, the temperature plunged in Wuhan, bringing a flurry of snow on the night of March 9. Many worried if the nascent Cherry Blossoms might perish.

Although some buds may have drifted away, the Cherry blossoms were in full bloom the next day as the sun came out.

Poems tied to the cherry tree branches communicate the most genuine wishes.

The beauty of Cherry blossoms, though ephemeral, is breathtaking. The chill in the spring air can never hamper its bloom, just as the fires of war can never compromise the spirit of WHU. It is such perseverance and determination that put the Chinese nation through decades of hardship, and will continue to imbue the younger generation with courage, strength and confidence.

(Edited by Mark & Sijia Hu)