The young leaves of the pomegranate are as purple as dye, and the petals and calyx are as bright red as fire, whistling and glowing, giving people a warm and bold feeling. The flowers are plump, graceful, and as beautiful as a royal concubine. The pomegranate flower is beautiful, can be seen and admired, but should not be played with frivolously, because she is wearing acupuncture to prevent frivolous fanatics. Its character is higher than that of flowing peach blossoms.
The ancient literati felt melancholy when they saw the water flow and the flowers fade away in spring. And "the spring flowers have fallen and the pomegranates have bloomed", which means that pomegranates have the power to hold back the beauty of spring in the world, which brings spiritual comfort to those poets who cherish spring, lament spring, and are sad about spring.
Pomegranate not only has beautiful flowers, but also has amazing fruits. The fruit is nearly spherical, with persistent calyx, orange-red, yellow-white color, covered with red halo, and has a green luster, like jade carved with fat. It looks like a wine jar for a drunken man to banish an immortal, but also looks like an elegant and gorgeous vase. Pomegranate "thousands of rooms have the same membrane, and thousands of sons are one." The seeds are crystal clear and round. Some are blue and white like jade, and some are as ruddy as agate. The food is cool and sweet, and the flavor is mellow. It not only satisfies the taste, but also provides people with beautiful enjoyment. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, family reunions and tasting pomegranates under the bright moon are truly beautiful. It is not an exaggeration to say that Wu Tianze, the empress of China, dubbed Pomegranate a "beautiful woman with many children."
Although Huaiyuan is a county town, it has always attracted many tourists and scholars. Not only is it the place where Dayu flood control meeting was held by the princes, but there are also beautiful stories about Dayu, Fangfeng, Jieqi, Tushan and so on. According to folklore, there are not only famous places and historic sites such as Yuwang Temple, White Milk Spring, Bianhe Cave, but also red pomegranates that add to the beauty of this mountain and water.
In late spring and early summer, I came to Huaiyuan, climbed Tushan Mountain to look for the remains of King Yu, visited Ruquan to marvel at the heroic spirit of Su Zi, and looked up at the Huai Tower while leaning on the railing to overlook the distance. It was even more intense and ambitious. From a distance, Tushan Mountain stands proudly and the Huaihe River flows, recalling many ups and downs throughout the ages; from a closer look, the pomegranate flowers are in full bloom, burning all over the mountain, radiating with the heroic sentiments of today. It's true:
"Lighting the lamp doubts the fire in the garden, and the continuous beads are better than the early plum blossoms." It is better than the red leaves in the fragrant mountains, and as beautiful as the fairyland of Taoyuan. Come autumn, red fruits and green leaves complement each other, like emeralds inlaid with red shining gems.
Pomegranate has always been loved by people as a fruit and flower. It is called "the most wonderful tree in the world and the famous fruit of Kyushu." It has attracted many literati to write a lot of articles. Poet Li Bai wrote "Ode to Pomegranate":
In the middle of May, the scenery comes from the south.
A few branches of pomegranates bloomed, and a foot of lotus blossomed.
Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty has "Inscription on Pomegranate":
In May, the pomegranate flowers illuminate the eyes, and you can see the seeds in the branches.
It is a pity that there are no carriages and horses here, and the green moss and crimson flowers are upside down.
Some poets love pomegranates so much that they can’t help themselves:
When all the spring flowers have fallen, pomegranates are blooming, and they are planted all over the front steps and outside the fence.
The branches are full of red and dye the moonlit night, and the evening breeze brings a faint fragrance.
Zhu Zhifan's poem "Dragon Fire":
The sky is full of Yanwei and Zhurong, and the waves of the sea are boiling and full of treasures.
The flying general's treasure tripod has thousands of flames, and the cinnabar is refined into thousands of red spots.