I walk past a river every day. During a riverside stroll a few days ago I suddenly noticed that the winter was gone and the spring had come out of nowhere in the form of swinging willow branches. Pearl-like buds on the willow branches were ready to show their first fuzzy greens.

The willow is one of the messengers for spring in Hangzhou. When tiny buds show up on slender and lengthy and thin branches， people know that spring is already here.

The willow does not look giant and majestic like poplars. It is not as ostentatious as some rainbow-colored blooms. But it is soft， graceful， and elegant， which touch the heart of Chinese poets. No wonder the willow turns out to be the most popular plant in ancient Chinese poetry. Many poets， best known for being flamboyant and powerful in their poems， become strangely tender when singing of the willow.

Though the willow in the Chinese name does not carry the word weeping， but it symbolizes goodbye to friends， indicating farewell to the fleeting youth， and the best moment of one’s life. The ancient Chinese gave a piece of willow branch to the one going away， for the willow in Chinese is pronounced stay in Chinese， meaning “don’t go away” or “you will stay in my heart”.

The willow in Chinese poetry is a symbol for many things and is relevant in various situations. A young woman， seeing the willows dancing in a fine spring day， would regret sending her husband away in search of fame or fortune. A Tang poet compares the spring breeze to a pair of scissors which cut out thin and long willow branches as silk sashes. Another poet asks where all the past dynasties are gone when willow trees are still here swinging in breeze and mist and moonlight. A poet answered his own question why the willow was not green yet: spring dreads saying goodbye and therefore refuses to let willow have greens. A Song poet famously remembers where he woke up that morning after saying goodbye the night before: somewhere near a riverbank with willow trees in a gentle breeze in early dawn.

In the aesthetics of many Chinese， the willow also stands for a way of life. As willows put down roots without much fuss despite all kinds of adverse circumstances and survive， many people think the willow teaches how to make a life worthwhile despite hard and harsh circumstances. □