Under the blooming crabapple trees that once welcomed foreign guests at the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling, more than 200 participants from some 40 countries gathered on Friday to celebrate poetry and spring.

The 2026 Crabapple Gala and Poetry Party, hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and supported by Beijing's Xicheng district, featured recitations bridging East and West. Michael Crook, chairman of the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, recited Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet Yang Wanli's Crabapple Nook.

"None grasp the east wind's hidden meaning well; All spring's splendor on crabapple flowers doth dwell...," the poem says.

Crook, who grew up in China and whose mother pioneered English language teaching in the country, said he chose the poem because it depicted the flower's grace after Beijing's recent rains. He also recited A. E. Housman's The Loveliest of Trees, noting that its metaphor of cherry blossoms "hung with snow" mirrors imagery common in Chinese verse.

As this year is the Year of the China-Africa People-to-People Exchanges, the event invited African diplomats and representatives. Participants watched opera, drumming, and dance performances blending elements of Chinese and African culture. Actor Du Ninglin recited poetry with international performers in five languages.

"There is no better way of starting the spring in China," said Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, permanent representative of the African Union to China.

Crook, asked about his personal connection to crabapples, smiled, "I really like my self-made crabapple sauce."