April 3, 2021 witnessed the opening of Tianjin University’s annual Crabapple Blossom Festival that would last for two weeks.
Tianjin University, one of the best places in Tianjin, a municipality in Northern China, to feast the eyes of crabapple blossom admirers, has held the yearly Crabapple Blossom Festival for ten years in a row since 2012.
As the campus is still off-limits to the public, the university hosted a one-hour long online flower show starting at 10 am and live broadcasted not only the stunning full bloom beauty of crabapple blossoms on its campus, but also festival events featuring college community culture on multiple media outlets and short video platforms like CCTV Video, People Video, Douyin and bilibili.
In the middle of the Mingde Road which is the best scenic spot to appreciate crabapple flowers, a shiny red-booth was most eye-catching in the live show.
“I hope that mankind will overcome the epidemic as soon as possible. And I am proud to have been a frontline doctor fighting against the virus,” said Zhao Xiaoyun to the camera installed within the booth. As a medical staff from the Chest Hospital Affiliated to Tianjin University, he was the leader of the hospital’s epidemic prevention and control group. This year, Zhao and his colleagues were invited as special guests to view crabapple blossoms on campus.
Setting off by the red-booth is a big crabapple tree with many red cards hanging on it and dancing amid the flowers with the light breeze. Some cards pray for the peace and prosperity of the country, others show resolution to pursue their academic dreams.
“The booth together with the big tree serve as tree holes that collect people’s aspirations for the future and their love confession to the country, the university or their loved ones,” said Zhao Xijun, one of the festival organizers, “The activity is designed to pay tribute to the great new era when our country has started a new journey to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way. New starting point calls for new adventuring spirit. We hope our students can ride on the waves of the times and align their personal dreams with the great cause of national rejuvenation.”
Besides enjoying flower shows, online audience were able to get a glimpse of the university culture through events like exhibitions, science popularization activities, sports games and art performances.
International students put on a dance and singing show in front of the library.
From 2012 to 2021, Tianjin University’s Crabapple Blossom Festival has attracted more 200,000 people including teachers, students, alumni and visitors from all walks of life into the campus and entertained nearly 2 million people through online flower shows hosted in 2020 and 2021. There are all together 800 crabapple trees on the university’s Weijin Road campus and 1300 trees on its Peiyangyuan campus.
By Eva Yin
