In bright spring sunshine by the lake, apricot blossoms bloom all over eastern Yunlong Mountain. Volunteer warmth permeates everything, framing Yunlong’s landscapes into picturesque scrolls. The "Ten-Li Apricot Blossoms" are not only a signature spring sight of Pengcheng (Xuzhou), but also a carrier of profound cultural heritage. Su Shi, once Prefect of Xuzhou, wrote a timeless ode to Yunlong Mountain’s apricot blossoms: I try spring robes beneath Yunlong Hill; Before the Crane-Releasing Pavilion, I bid the sunset farewell. Thirty li of apricot flowers stretch in one hue; New scholars ride horses as swift as wind. Recently, CCTV-9 documentary Beautiful China · Spring Series also featured the stunning spring scenery of Yunlong Lake in Xuzhou.
Spring flower viewing is a popular outdoor leisure activity that embodies people’s pursuit of a better life, while also serving as a mirror reflecting public civility and ecological awareness. Nevertheless, uncivilized behaviors such as picking flowers and littering, alongside disregard for the ecosystem, reveal insufficient environmental awareness among some citizens, posing threats to flower resources, ecological balance and the construction of a civilized society.
On March 20 and 22, 2024, the School of Life Sciences, Xuzhou Medical University, joined hands with Xuzhou Yunlong Lake Scenic Area to host the youth volunteer activity themed Poetic Guidance for Civil Flower Appreciation. The campaign aims to inherit classical poetry culture, cultivate college students’ volunteer spirit and elevate public civility.
Young volunteers handcrafted promotional bookmarks for flower protection. The front sides printed over 40 Tang and Song poems depicting apricot blossoms, while the back sides bore the slogan: May you wander freely amid apricot blooms, yet carry away not a single flower or leaf no matter how enchanted you are. Volunteers hung these poetic bookmarks on blossoming apricot trees in the Apricot Grove and Hundred Flowers Square, drawing crowds of tourists to stop and read.
When witnessing uncivilized acts including random flower picking, branch breaking and littering, volunteers patiently dissuaded visitors and called on all citizens to build a harmonious, polite flower-viewing environment. They then delivered environmental education to sightseers and distributed questionnaires on poetry-guided civilized flower appreciation. Through volunteer outreach integrated with classical verses, the team promoted civilized tourism and advocated respect and protection of nature.
The successful event subtly embedded ecological civilization concepts, fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, advancing social and environmental progress, and showcasing contemporary citizens’ cultural literacy and ecological responsibility.
Author: Hong Xiaoran, First Review: Hong Xiaoran; Second Review: Zheng Peng; Third Review: Li Chong
