Using methods cultivated in Shanghai, cold-climate-loving flowers are able to hold their own in a tropical climate's popular Chinese Spring Festival display, ZHOU WENTING reports in Shanghai.

With gardening expertise from Shanghai, the winter-blooming plum blossoms have successfully bloomed in Singapore's tropical climate, where daytime temperatures hover around 30 C, allowing local residents and international visitors to enjoy the beauty of such flowers at the signature Chinese New Year floral display.

Cold-loving plum blossoms breaking free from the constraints of the seasons is a key horticultural highlight of this Year of the Horse floral display that is ongoing at Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, a world-renowned tourist attraction.

Themed Spring Blossoms: Gallop into Prosperity, the floral display was jointly designed and set up by teams from Shanghai Garden Group Corporation and Gardens by the Bay. The Shanghai team lent their expertise in Jiangnan (referring to the southern regions of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) gardens, while the Singapore team provided guidance on the overall set-up, plant palette and horticultural knowledge specific to the Singapore context. The floral display opened on Jan 16, and will last through March 1, offering a cultural feast blending Jiangnan garden artistry with Chinese traditions.

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The achievement of having cold-loving plum blossoms bloom in the tropical Lion City is a testament to the technical prowess of the Shanghai team. According to project leader Ju Xiaodan, the team embarked on a meticulous preparation process three to four months in advance, developing a comprehensive system integrating selection, control, transportation, and maintenance to overcome challenges.

The first hurdle was selecting robust plum saplings with stable blooming periods. This set the foundation for their off-season flowering. The next critical phase was vernalization, where the saplings underwent about 20 days of continuous low temperatures to transition from growth to reproductive flowering, simulating their natural winter environment.

"Finally, after the saplings arrived in Singapore, they underwent a gradual warming and acclimatization process to slowly adjust to a constant temperature of 22 C, ultimately ensuring that they would bloom steadily during the exhibition," says Ju.

With such technological breakthrough, the "flower street", one of the 10 scenes in the floral display, becomes a focal point, featuring the "four gentlemen" among Chinese flowers: plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. They symbolize qualities of resilience, elegance, integrity, and tranquility, respectively, and represent the pursuit and aspiration for noble characters in traditional Chinese culture.

"In a stunning display, plum blossoms, peonies, and chrysanthemums bloom simultaneously, defying seasonal boundaries. This floral spectacle, a testament to advanced horticultural techniques and meticulous craftsmanship, invites visitors to appreciate the profound aesthetics of Chinese culture," says Ju.

Beyond the vibrant seasonal blooms, the floral display intricately weaves Jiangnan garden elegance with auspicious themes for the Year of the Horse, according to the design team. Inspired by the ancient Chinese painting Eight Horses, the scene "dancing horses among flowers" features horse lanterns crafted using the traditional lantern-making technique from Zigong city, Sichuan province, whose lantern festival was inscribed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

"These vibrant lanterns, made with steel frames and fabric, embody the dynamic spirit and cultural richness of horses, symbolizing prosperity and success for new year blessings," Ju says.

The design team of the floral display says that it embraces the Jiangnan garden principle of "seeing the big in the small", packing diverse landscapes into the greenhouse. Visitors can wander through moon gates, pause at pavilions, and admire seasonal blooms, echoing the literati tradition. Cascading water features called "die shui" and a limestone rock inspired by the Taihu rocks from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu province — renowned for being shaped by nature into abstract twisted forms — are examples of quintessential Jiangnan gardens' elements, according to the team.

Zhang Yongwei, Party secretary and chairman of Shanghai Garden Group Corporation, says that the implementation of these structures also relies on technological innovation.

Since Gardens by the Bay is open to visitors during the day, the team could only work during the nighttime. By using 1:1 3D modeling for modular disassembly and custom solid wood mortise and tenon structures, they completed the construction of the Jiangnan garden architecture within just 10 nights, balancing both precise craftsmanship and schedule requirements, Zhang says.

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"We aim to showcase the contemporary development of traditional Chinese culture and Shanghai's urban landscape through our craftsmanship. We hope this gift strengthens ties between China and Singapore, celebrating Chinese New Year with global visitors," he says, adding that the company has implemented dozens of projects involving traditional Chinese gardens overseas, in locations such as Belgium, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh says: "This floral display is a joyful fusion of nature with some of the best elements of traditional Chinese culture, which we hope brings good tidings during the Chinese New Year for our visitors. The landscape inspired by Jiangnan-style gardens, long regarded as masterpieces in classical Chinese landscapes, evoke beauty, renewal and new beginnings, while the horse lanterns symbolize strength, vitality and perseverance."

Contact the writer at zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn