Nanning Red Beans

Nanning Red Beans

　　“Red berries grow in southern land. How many load in spring the trees? Gather them till full is your hand; They would revive fond memories.” This famous poem “Yearning” by the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei is known to all, young and old. The “red berries” mentioned in the poem can be found throughout the southern regions — various parts of Guangxi. In fact, they include two types: red beans and love beans. Red beans are the seeds produced by the red bean tree, bright red in color, 1.5–2 centimeters long, and belong to the leguminous arbor family. Love beans, also known as mandarin duck beans or love seeds, are red at the top, black at the bottom, brightly colored and glossy, about the size of soybeans. They are the seeds of a perennial creeping herbaceous plant. Young men and women of various ethnic groups in Guangxi love to gather red beans and love beans as tokens of friendship and love. On both sides of the staircase leading up to the Zhenning Cannon Platform at the main entrance of Nanning People’s Park, there grow several red bean trees about ten feet tall. When the trees bear fruit, many young people come to the tree to collect the red beans. The beans are scattered among the grass and in crevices in the rocks, so one must search patiently to find them. Visitors to this park should not forget to pick a few red beans to give to their loved ones. (Nanning)