What is love? Love is a bunch of verdant saxifrages in Cuicui's dream.Cuicui is the heroine in Biancheng，a book written by Shen Congwen，a notable Chinese writer , is the closest literary work to the Nobel Prize in Literature in the mainland,also called The border town.
The border town illustrates a pure love tragedy with Xiangxi local characteristics.Herein,the saxifrage serves as a love symbol in this story,beautiful and sad.
Saxifrage is a common wild plant in Western Hunan，grows in the wet and dark places，especially in the cracks of the stone．This kind of perennial herbs with showy pentamerous flowers and often with basal tufted leaves.Most surprising is the shape of its leaves looks like a heart，and it is the reason why Shen uses this plant to symbolize Cuicui's love.
In Xiangxi ,a girl usually used to pick a bunch of saxifrages and give to her favored boy. For verdant saxifrages symbolizing the vigor ,vitality and lasting love ,young people in Xiangxi are fond of it.When saxifrages spreading around the ground,the heart-like leaves anywhere come into your eyes,you will be amazed at the fabulous love paradise.
Each year in May to August is the blossom season for saxifrages.Not only the cultural symbol saxifrages possess ,but also the ornamental and medical value.
Sourced and translated by Aileen