Being able to truly experience the four seasons is one of the simple pleasures of life that I have come to appreciate in China, although I have to admit that I do miss the blazing sun on chilly days. I remember running towards the sea of red maple leaves at Hangzhou’s West Lake, catching a glimpse of the very last cherry blossom in Suzhou’s classical gardens before it withered, jumping out of bed at 7am in Nanjing just to catch the first snowfall, and now that Spring is upon us, I have been photographing flowers in bloom from every angle imaginable. The fleeting beauty of each natural phenomenon makes every moment more precious than it already is, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be able to reconnect with Mother Nature.Just a few days before I returned to Nanjing from Singapore, I read in the news that the plum blossoms in Nanjing have bloomed prematurely. Overwhelmed with excitement, we told our driver to take us to Plum Blossom Mountain for the annual plum blossom festival the day after we arrived.

An ocean of marshmallow pink and white greeted us along with throngs of visitors on an early weekday afternoon. The plum blossoms, also known as Nanjing’s national flowers, were in full bloom in end February, a rarity since they usually bloom in mid-March. Not unlike Japan’s cherry blossom season, we found visitors settling into their favourite spots, picnic baskets brimming with food in tow and just enjoying a leisurely afternoon with their loved ones. The plum blossoms danced to the rhythm of the wind, and when the sun cast its rays upon them, that was when their beauty came to life.

The beauty of photography lies in its ability to capture magical moments that bring back beautiful memories and today, I hope these moments captured in time will put a smile on your face as we take on another week ahead.