3月11日，周末春暖，冷不防天气“乱套”夜飞雪，一宿醒来的杭州市民突然发现全城银装，乾坤皆白。恰逢梅花盛开，这种三月瑞雪覆梅花的“双巧”机缘几十年难遇。杭州气象台的资料显示，自1951年以来的半个多世纪里，3月大雪仅5次，而且与一般春雪易融迥异，这场大雪乃是“燥雪”，积雪数寸厚，全然不湿鞋。专家称，到了这个季节，盛开梅花逢燥雪，实在是百年难见。
　　踏雪赏梅去！与杭州千百个家庭一样，我们也举家赶往灵峰。
　　杭州原有三大赏梅胜地：孤山、西溪、灵峰。孤山梅自唐宋以来，就因与白居易、林和靖结缘而闻名遐迩。白居易看到“孤山园里丽如妆”、“曾为梅花醉几场”；林逋“梅妻鹤子”传佳话，“疏影”、“暗香”天下扬。因此，孤山曾与余杭超山、苏州邓尉一起并称为我国三大赏梅胜地。可是，近几年来孤山梅花已日渐式微，西溪赏梅也一度衰落，不过目前正在恢复之中，可望明年重新开放。唯有灵峰延续清道光、宣统年间两次植梅的传统，经过多年苦心营造，1988年正式开放赏梅游览，而且花事日盛。目前，在150多亩的坡地上，45个品种、5000多株梅花树高花繁，气象万千，成为全国屈指可数的赏梅胜地之一。
　　本以为自己捷足先登，不料早已慕客如云。数千株梅树凌寒傲雪，千万朵梅花披鹅毛、覆鹤毳，丹霞凝脂，朱容玉貌，红白映衬，更显得幽雅柔美，千娇百媚。开花最早的长蕊宫粉，雄蕊外泄，浓香馥郁，如一群群红衣少女纷披婚妙；树冠扁圆形的多萼朱砂，大枝斜出，树势高昂，以最为繁密的玫瑰色花朵夺人目光；枝条自然扭曲的龙游梅虬枝横斜，造型奇特，倒卵形的花蕾散发出扑鼻芳香；至今仍然禁止出口的“金钱大绿萼”，以60至80瓣的花朵傲立群芳，活像在自豪地宣告：我才是最珍贵的梅花！而灵峰最多的细枝朱砂，则以“当家人”的姿态，接受摩肩接踵的红男绿女的礼赞。千百个家庭与亲朋好友在花前留影，数十名摄影师举着“长枪短炮”猎取镜头，十多名画家和美术爱好者在激情写生，数不清的佳偶游侣、孺子童女堆雪人、滚雪球、打雪仗，欢声笑语不绝于耳，展现出一幅幅安乐和谐的画图。
　　
　　杭州植物园工程师、梅花专家胡中告诉我，灵峰衍生着大片毛竹林，又有茂密的摩天松林，给南坡的梅园提供了得天独厚的生态环境。“岁寒三友”相聚，野趣盎然，在中国的赏梅胜地独树一帜。由此，我更觉得在这芳泽满园、容华绝世的时刻，在一个全国无可匹敌的生态佳地赏梅，是何等荣幸。
　　南宋爱国将领张浚之孙张 ，作为当时杭州的画梅、赏梅圣手，曾在他的著作《梅品》一书中提出赏梅的58条标准。我非行家，看不出什么“门道”，但能游目畅怀看“热闹”，陶醉于如此良辰美景，也不失为人生一大快事。
　　
　　Plum Blossoms in Snow
　　Story and Photographs by Fu Tongxian
　　
　　It snowed unexpectedly in Hangzhou on the night of March 11 this year. To the great surprise and delight of local residents, the whole city was overnight wrapped up in a dry thick snow. The silver snow coincided with the blooming plum blossoms. According to the Hangzhou Weather Bureau, it had snowed in March only five times since 1951. Local people flocked to the Soul Peak to admire plum blossoms in snow.
　　
　　In ancient times, Hangzhou had three major resorts of plum blossoms: the Solitary Hill in the West Lake, the West Brook in the western suburb, and the Soul Peak. Though the first two resorts were more famous in the history, they are no longer popular for plum blossoms. The Soul Peak has become the best vantage place for viewing plum blossoms in Hangzhou. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), two major efforts were made to plant plum blossom trees around the Soul Peak. In 1988, the garden was first open to tourists. At present there are more than 5,000 plum blossom trees of 45 species ensconced away in the quiet hills. In fact, the Soul Peak is now one of the best places to enjoy plum blossoms across the country.
　　The Soul Peak is also home to large plots of bamboos and pines. In the Chinese culture, the bamboo, the pine, and the plum blossom are regarded as hree Companions of Winter? They symbolize a spirit of showing one’s true color while enduring hardship and tribulation of life. In this physical and spiritual sense, the Soul Peak is actually quite unique in the country.
　　An ancient scholar of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) once came up with 58 norms for appreciating plum blossoms in a book. But most tourists at the Soul Peak that day probably had never heard of such norms. Nor did they care for such sophisticated standards. Families and friends posed in front of plum blossoms to take photos as mementoes. Dozens of professional photographers sought best angles. Kids built snowmen and flung small snowballs at each other happily. Artists sketched. Lovers laughed. The sound of rejoicing lingered on.