The 154-year-old peony in Xiaolou Lane, Wuxi, bloomed 72 flowers at once. Foreigners once made a documentary about it!

154-year-old peony, a living fossil of history

The center of Wuxi is full of tall buildings and bustling with people, but what is surprising is that there is a Xiaolou Lane with a history of more than 900 years hidden here. If you want to see the centenary peony flowers, you must first pass through this narrow alley.

This alley is very narrow and deep, called Beinong. It feels like it takes a long time to reach the end of the alley. There are some places where even the sunlight cannot come in, just like a time tunnel.

Walking through the long Xiaolou Lane and making turns, although I was eager to see the peonies, I still didn't want to miss the scenery along the way.

Passing by the old houses covered with green tiles, one can't help but feel awe. This is an alley with a history of more than 900 years. These are the houses where the ancients lived and the roads they walked.

When you walk to Fushou Hall, you are very close to the 154-year-old peony. The furnishings inside Fu Shou Tang are very simple and antique.

The plaque hanging in Fushou Hall is said to have been written by Zhang Zongyi of the Qing Dynasty. The paper has long turned yellow, like an elderly man quietly telling history.

Finally, I saw the century-old peony in the garden on the west side of Fushou Hall. It was planted by Qin Huan, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty. It is a peony with a story. This year it actually bloomed 72 flowers, which surprised the people of Wuxi and broke the record of 52 flowers in 2011.

In the early years of the Tongzhi reign, Wuxi was occupied by the Taiping Army, and Qin Huan went to Kaifeng, Henan for refuge. In the second year of the Tongzhi reign, the Qing Dynasty recaptured Wuxi. When Qin Huan returned to Wuxi from Kaifeng, a friend gave him a peony.

It has gone through a hundred years of wind and rain and survived the catastrophe of the Cultural Revolution. Several generations have carefully cared for this peony, and it is growing more and more prosperous!

The four big characters "Family Treasure and National Glory" on the wall were written by Song Yuanlian, the former Minister of Education of the Qing Dynasty. It means that the peony flower is the heirloom of the Qin family, and the Qin family is the pillars and essence of the country!

The lush and healthy growth of the peony is inseparable from the careful care of generations of the Qin family. The peony and the Qin family have developed a deep affection, and it seems that only by blooming the most beautiful flowers can we repay their care!

The peony flower understands human nature, and the Qin family also understands the peony's temperament. The fourth-generation daughter-in-law of the Qin family is 86 years old. People call her Grandma Yu. Grandma said that peonies only like to eat meat, one is pig offal, the other is fish offal. If they are fermented and buried at the roots, the peonies will definitely bloom brightly.

Children also like to come to Fushoutang and draw the various shapes and forms of this century-old peony on paper.

This peony has witnessed the century-long historical changes of Xiaolou Lane. It is a second-level ancient tree in Wuxi City and a living fossil of history.

This peony even amazed foreigners! In 2014, the British BBC sent people to shoot a documentary about this peony, and they were full of praise for this peony!

The 154-year-old peony has a soul. It breathes with generations of Wuxi people and silently wishes people a happy and fulfilling life.

The Qin family's heirlooms are not gold, silver or jewelry.

It was planted 154 years ago.

Despite the vicissitudes of life,

But the peony flowers that bloomed and amazed the world,

Huahua hopes that this peony can live forever.

Let’s continue to pass on the story of our generation!