According to the Japanese Sakura Master, wild cherry blossoms originated in China and originated in the Himalayas.
Many people take this as evidence that cherry blossoms originated in China. However, what we are talking about here is the wild cherry blossoms millions of years ago, which is not the same as the cultivated cherry blossoms we are watching now.
According to statistics, there are 38 species of wild cherry blossoms in China, of which 29 species are endemic to China, which is more than Japanese wild cherry blossoms. If they are developed, it is entirely possible to cultivate excellent cultivated cherry blossoms.
However, China has traditionally paid little attention to cherry blossoms.
Although there are poems describing cherry blossoms, such as "A new red tassel tree is planted in a small garden, so it is easy to wander around the flowers" and "Where you mourn for the zither, you should take care of it urgently, and the cherry blossoms will hang on the banks of the Yangan River", there is still a gap between the cherry blossoms and the famous flowers like plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and peony in China.
When it comes to the cherry blossoms we are enjoying now, they are mainly cultivated cherry blossoms cultivated in Japan, and there are also "Honghua Gaopen Sakura" which originated in Yunnan, China.
in Japan, cherry trees were once regarded as sacred trees. Some scholars have pointed out that cherry blossoms are related to the god of grain, so cherry blossoms are also associated with rice planting rituals. Later, cherry blossoms entered the palace from local customs and gradually entered the public life.
However, Japan's love for cherry blossoms was not so deep from the beginning.
Yongmei's poems were much more than those of cherry blossoms in the earliest Japanese harmony song "Wan Ye Ji", but in heian period's "Ancient and Modern Harmony Song Ji", the cherry blossoms in the poems overwhelmingly surpassed the plum blossoms.
there are different opinions about the specific reasons for the change.
One view is that as Japanese native culture matures, they need a "flower totem" different from China.
As a result, the plum blossoms from China gradually faded out and were replaced by cherry blossoms that are more in line with the aesthetic of "mourning for things".
Japanese philosopher and Tochikuro think that the "sudden and hasty blooming of cherry blossoms" is very appropriate to the Japanese temperament.
some of the cherry blossoms in our country were left by the invaders during the war. The first batch of cherry blossoms in the Luojiashan campus of Wuhan University was shipped from China by the Japanese invaders.
After the Anti-Japanese War, some people advocated cutting down these cherry trees, but reserved opinions prevailed.
In p>1972, with the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, another 2 white cherry trees were planted in Wuhan University, which were presented to Premier Zhou by Japanese friends.
Since then, Japanese friends have presented hundreds of cherry tree saplings, including "early cherry blossoms with big leaves" and "Japanese cherry blossoms". Cherry blossoms at this time have become a symbol of peace and friendship.
References:
1. Shu Fanghong: Investigation on the symbolic significance of Japanese cherry blossoms, Japanese Journal, No.2, 29;
2. Chen Yongqi: Similarities and differences between Chinese and Japanese cherry blossom cultures —— Taking the text as the analysis object, People's Forum, No.2, 216;
3. Wuwen: The origin of cherry blossoms in Wuda University, Xiaokang, No.8, 215;
4. Li Tiansong: Cherry Blossoms in Wuhan University Campus, Wuhan Literature and History Data, No.4, 1994;
5. Shell net: Don't argue, where cherry blossoms originated depends on science.