Symbolizing adoration, loyalty, and longevity, 3,000 sq m (3,588 sq yd) of rare sunflowers came into full bloom at Yeli Island Park on May 20, itself a day for expressing love inasmuch as 520 (wu er ling), when spoken quickly, sounds like wo ai ni, or I love you.

Amid the rays (as sunflower petals are known) in the glowing fields off Central Lovers Avenue in Wanzaisha of Old Xiangzhou, it also is easy to reflect that 5, wu in Chinese, sounds like woo, meaning to court in hopes of romance and perhaps marriage. It is fitting, too, that May is named for the Greek goddess of fertility Maia, and that the sunflowers will continue to bloom on Yeli into early June, the month of Juno, the goddess associated with marriage.

Most eye-catching on Yeli Island are the white lovers with pure pale rays, black swans with petals as dark as moonless nights, the ovary and the stem of 2 m (6.6 ft) height, and bicolor red lemons. They can be found on the central lawn south of the Haiyan Bridge entrance near the Comprehensive Service Center.

Sunflowers follow the sun as visitors capture the moment in front of the Comprehensive Service Center

Moreover, a seaside floral belt consisting of tiny golden monicas, happy dwarves with dark-colored floral discs, and delightful firecrackers with red auroras in the midst of bright yellow petals stretches northeastward along the coastal walk/bikeway leading to the Hi City leisure complex and Zhuhai Opera House.

All nine rare species are bred in locally, and many were first planted in Zhuhai parklands. Early morning and dusk are the best times to admire them, says Chen Xiaojuan, director of the Yeli Island Park Administration.

In addition to sunflowers, about 1,000 sq m (a quarter-acre) of zinnia elegans (youth-and-age), maidenhair, begonia benariensis, and spider flowers adorn the park.

During the October 1 National Day break, holiday-goers will be treated to 3,000 sq m of orange, white, and pink gomphrena globosa (globe amaranth), all nurtured locally and previously unseen in Zhuhai.

Full-blown white lovers [Photos by Chen Jiazhe / Guanhai App]