The year draws to its end and cold weather is tightening its grip and dragging the city into a world of drabness, but almost suddenly people have found the ginkgo trees stand proud with the inspiring golden glow, to the delight of the dispirited urban dwellers tucked away in thick clothes.

The ginkgo tree is the City Tree of Chengdu and there are thousands of ginkgo trees planted in downtown Chengdu. In late autumn and early winter, these tall trees with the delicate fan-like leaves change colors and make themselves a brilliant, photogenic sight around the city. When the weather is fine, you can see crowds of people come out to take pictures of the trees in various places such as parks, streets and campuses.

"Ginkgo trees in late autumn and early winter look so beautiful, and I like the sound and the soft feel when I walk on the fallen leaves in the street," said Ms. Chen in the Huanhuaxi Park in western Chengdu, with a camera in her hands.

Best viewing time: from mid-November to early December