If you haven't been here, you can't truly understand the trees' profound thoughts, nor can you appreciate the essence of their lives. You also can't see their joy and tranquility, their spaciousness and solidity…
I felt destined to walk into this forest. There's often a tacit understanding between humans and nature.
This weekend, I entered Binhu National Forest Park. My initial impression was delightful; the entire forest seemed ready, waiting for you.
Behind this delight came a touch of awe—the scale was immense, the scene breathtaking, the atmosphere deeply moving. It had seemingly used the blue sky and white clouds as a backdrop, the vast Chaohu Lake as a frame, exotic flowers and rare herbs as embellishments, and tourists from all directions as accompaniments… Even the roadside stream seemed to flow with music.
Life may cause us to miss many landscapes, but fortunately, I didn't miss this forest before me. If you miss it, you'll never see it again. The captivating poplar grove, when imbued with words, becomes a series of Tang poems and Song lyrics; the graceful willows along the embankment and the lotus blossoms in the pond, when painted with oil paint, become landscapes of the Wei and Jin dynasties and traditional Chinese paintings of the Ming and Qing dynasties; the garden scene, with its layers of trees dyed in the summer charm of the water town, when woven into bamboo slips, becomes a series of prose poems and parallel essays
. This forest seems to have instilled in me an innate love for green. Without visiting here, you cannot understand the trees' contemplative spirit, nor can you appreciate their life's essence. Of course, you also cannot see their joy and tranquility, their spaciousness and solidity.
All symbols of beauty have a dominant element as their foundation. In Binhu National Forest Park, the poplar becomes its veins and skeleton. This is the first time I have perceived the poplar's ordinary yet extraordinary temperament, the first time I have felt the transcendent beauty and vibrant vitality of a plant, and the first time I have recognized how a forest organically integrates with its surrounding abiotic environment to form a complete ecosystem.
The tall poplars growing along the dikes and roadsides, like the indigenous people who remained behind, are honest, simple, and unpretentious. Their upright forms support the blue sky of their homeland and bear the weight of their native soil; their verdant canopies provide shade for passersby and a happy home for birds. I envy those birds, who, perched on treetops, can gaze at the masts of Chaohu Lake, hear the bells of Laoshan Mountain, and admire the moonlit lotus ponds of the wetlands. These towering poplars are like masts moored on the lakeshore, always ready to raise their sails for you.
The smaller poplars growing on the earthen mounds, though not as majestic as their parents, already display lofty ambitions. Perhaps because their families are so densely packed, their trunks, as thick as bowls, are covered in grayish-green or grayish-white bark, striving ever upwards. Their alternate, single leaves resemble two hands, pushing each other along while protecting their own bodies and accumulating strength. Majesty is a kind of beauty, and so is delicacy. Clustered within the vast expanse of trees stood slender figures, reminiscent of the hazy charm of a bamboo forest. However, the bamboo forest seemed too delicate, lacking the energy of this grove.
It was the first time I'd ever seen such immense power in a poplar forest. A vast expanse, it seemed to stretch to the sky, to the earth, to the entire forest park, and even to my own eyes. Walking
along the wooden boardwalk into the depths of the forest, a serene tranquility permeated my senses. Looking up, I saw scattered scales of leaves; looking down, I saw a carpet woven from fallen leaves and blades of grass. The fresh scent of photosynthesis rose from above, carried by the earth's energy, carrying a rich, orchid-like fragrance. I reached out and plucked a small twig from the top, brushing away the downy feathers; gazing at the heart-shaped base of the long branches and leaves, the ovate shape of the entire leaf, and the wavy, serrated edges, my heart stirred. Being close to the tree family, I felt as if I had become a tree myself, a part of the forest's scenery.
I believe that, if I wish, my feet could connect with the roots of this forest. For vastness and inclusiveness are the qualities of a forest. As the main body of the park, the poplar trees are accompanied by birds, fish, shrimp, and other animals, and neighbored by camphor trees, pines, red maples, and other plants. They also interact with microorganisms and the soil, forming a holistic ecosystem.
With this forest, the 800-li Chaohu Lake has gained another breathtaking view. With this forest, the famous lake city of Hefei has gained another green treasure.
The poplars at the East Gate, their leaves just beginning to fall, are ready at dusk, the stars shining brightly. The poplars at the East Gate,
their leaves deep and green, are ready at dusk, the stars clear and bright.
She has gone. A forest awaits you by the lake.
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