Every spring at Wuhan University, there is a Cherry Blossom Festival, which lasts for about a week or until all the blossoms fall from the trees. The coming of the cherry blossoms symbolizes the end of a long winter and the beginning of warmer eventually scorching weather. Because the blossoms are so spectacular, this event turns the school into a madhouse as visitors flock to the campus. People are everywhere! Traffic outside the main gate of the school becomes even more chaotic than normal as bicycles, cars and scooters all crowd the streets causing mayhem. Crossing the street, which is already hard to do becomes nearly impossible. In China, red lights mean go, driving on the right side of the road is optional, and giving pedestrians the right a way is completely non-existent. I am honestly more surprised that I haven't witnessed more car accidents here. Wuda (Wuhan University) also profits tremendously from this as they block the main gate charging an admission fee for non-students.
In general, Wuda’s campus is quite lovely with its rolling hills and forestry, but when the blossoms are in full bloom, the campus becomes especially beautiful. People bring their families to visit and take a lot of pictures. Chinese people love to take photographs and many of the
photos are very staged and theatrical. Couples will pose together like a high school prom photo or people take photos of themselves as well.Overall, the festival was a success with the exception of one minor incident. I didn’t witness this event first-hand but read about it online. Here is the link: New branches of nationalism in China Briefly, two Chinese women, a mother and daughter, wore the Japanese traditional style of dress known as the Kimono to visit the festial. While posing for pictures with the cherry blossoms, they were confronted because they were wearing Kimonos and forced to leave the campus. China and Japan have a turbulent history, which has left a feeling of resentment among many Chinese people. (Not all, but many.) This event has stirred debate (at least in Wuhan) and renewed a sense of nationalism among Chinese people.
On a side note, earlier this week was the Traditional Thai New Year so my Thai friends along with almost the entire dormitory decided to celebrate it. One of the most well-known traditions of this holiday involves throwing water on other people. Unfortunately for me, I didn't know about the party or the tradition until I arrived back from running errands. To make matters worse, there is only one entrance and one pathway to the dormitories and I live at the very last dormitory. I barely made it to the first building before I found myself completely drenched, but it turned out to be a fun afternoon. :)
