The Historical Origin of Peach Blossoms in the West Embankment of the Summer Palace

According to the Records of Beijing Fruit Trees, peach originated in China and has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. It is one of the oldest fruit trees in China. In The Book of Songs Nan Zhou (BC 10 century to the 6th century BC), there are poems such as "Peach blossoms wither, burning their China peaches, and _(fén) peach blossoms actually wither, and their Stand Ye (zhēn)", which vividly depicts the grand occasion of peach blossoms full of trees and fruits. "Er Ya Shi Mu Pian" records "Luo, Dongtao; _ (s √), "Mountain Peach" and other varieties. In the Book of Rites, peaches, plums, apricots and dates are listed as "five fruits" for offering sacrifices to gods.

Peach trees have a long history in Beijing. According to the Analysis compiled by Xiong at the end of Yuan Dynasty, as early as Jin and Yuan Dynasties, there were snail peaches, maishu peaches, Daquan peaches, peaches, eagle-billed peaches, imperial peaches, September peaches and winter peaches in Beijing. According to the records of Fangshan County in the third year of Kangxi (1664), "Peach has yellow, white, blue and red colors, and there are many kinds; Fruits are big and small, ripe in the morning and evening, big and sweet in the evening; Its shape is flat and round. There is also a kind of saying' fresh in May', with a red mouth; There is also a kind called' June White', which has a small output and can be used as medicine. " Peach varieties recorded in Pinggu County Records in the 6th year of Kangxi (1667) include Jin peach, Qiu peach, Xuan peach and wheat ripe peach. Peach varieties recorded in Wanping County Records in the 13th year of Kangxi (1674) are Maotao, Almond, Jade Peach, Autumn Peach and Silver Peach. Therefore, according to written records alone, there are many peach trees cultivated in Beijing, which are divided into two categories: edible peaches and ornamental peaches.