太湖边盛开的樱花，无锡 Cherry blossoms at Tai Lake at Wuxi, China (© Eric Yang/Getty Images)

太湖边盛开的樱花，无锡 Cherry blossoms at Tai Lake at Wuxi, China (© Eric Yang/Getty Images)

太湖畔的春天 Spring on the shores of Lake Tai

Cherry trees bloom at Lake Tai in Wuxi, China

The tranquil appearance of Lake Tai belies its location within Wuxi, China, a metropolis of 7.5 million people in the southern Jiangsu province. A short distance to the east is the megacity of Shanghai. But city life feels a world away here at China's third-largest freshwater lake. m More than 20 miles across in places Lake Tai provides a needed retreat from urban life, drawing locals and tourists to its picturesque shores.

There is no more popular time to visit Lake Tai, also known as Lake Taihu, than when its 30,000 cherry trees bloom on Turtle Head Isle, a peninsula that helps form a cove at the north end of the shallow lake. Turtle Head is the perfect launching point for a visit to the lake, where visitors can stroll through scenic trails, formal gardens, bridges, and overlooks.

The cherry trees bloom for about 10 days, usually starting in late March and early April. If the scene evokes thoughts of Japan, you're on the right track as the viewing of blossoms is a long-standing tradition in Japan. In fact, the trees of Lake Tai were a gift from Japanese visitors who helped plant them in Wuxi. Now, there is no doubt when spring arrives.

中国无锡太湖樱花盛开

太湖宁静的外观掩盖了它在中国无锡的位置。无锡是江苏省南部一个拥有750万人口的大都市。往东不远就是上海这座特大城市。但在中国第三大淡水湖，城市生活感觉像是一个世界。在20多英里宽的地方，太湖为人们提供了远离城市生活的必要去处，吸引了当地人和游客来到风景如画的海岸。

游览太湖最受欢迎的时间莫过于它的3万棵樱花在龟头岛上盛开，龟头岛是一个半岛，有助于在浅水湖的北端形成一个海湾。龟头湖是游览该湖的最佳出发点，游客可以在这里漫步穿过风景优美的小径、正式的花园、桥梁和远眺。

樱桃树开花约10天，通常从3月底到4月初开始。如果这个场景让人想起了日本，那么你就走上了正确的道路，因为观赏鲜花是日本的一项长期传统。事实上，太湖的树木是日本游客在无锡帮助种植的礼物。现在，毫无疑问，春天什么时候到来。