A bird's-eye view of the road with goldenrain trees on both sides in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

With the arrival of mid-September, autumn is getting well underway in Nantong. In the coming months, the city will showcase its vibrant colors, with the first to catch everyone's attention being the goldenrain trees now starting to bloom.

The goldenrain tree, also known as the lantern tree, is a deciduous tree. It blooms in summer, with clusters of golden flowers blossoming atop branches under the blazing sun.

Come autumn, after the flowers have withered, the plump fruits hang like paper lanterns on the branches, transitioning from green to pink, brown and yellow, layer upon layer, until late autumn. It is celebrated as the "rainbow tree of the city".

A bird's-eye view of the road with goldenrain trees on both sides in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

A close-up of a goldenrain tree in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]