Spring delight: 9 recommended destinations to see blossom in China

Editor's note: From vibrant tulips to glamorous peonies, you can always find your favorite flowers in spring, the time of year when everything wakes up. We've created a floral map containing nine enchanting sites in China, each of which is famed for its signature blossoms. We are sure that you will also want to explore the charm of these places beyond the flowers. It’s time to start your own colorful spring journey!

Cherry blossoms

Yuantouzhu Cherry Blossom Valley, Jiangsu province
无锡鼋头渚樱花谷

Address: Taihu Yuantouzhu Scenic Spot, Wuxi city, Jiangsu province
General admission: 90 yuan ($ 13.81)
Ideal appreciation time: Late February to early April

You cannot miss Taihu Lake when visiting Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and Yuantouzhu (Turtle Head Isle) Scenic Spot on the northwestern bank should be your first choice for a springtime visit. Covering an area of 200,000 square meters and home to some 30,000 cherry trees in 68 varieties, its Cherry Blossom Valley is the largest of its kind in China. You can also appreciate the beauty of the flowers amid the enchanting, traditional Chinese-style structures including towers, lofty pavilions, belvederes, and bridges.

Peach blossoms

Gala village in Nyingchi city, Tibet autonomous region
西藏林芝巴宜区嘎拉村

Address: Gala village, Bayi district, Nyingchi city, Tibet autonomous region
General admission: Free
Ideal appreciation time: March and April

The peach blossoms conquer the land around Gala village in March, while the winter coldness still lingers. These wild blooms always strike a strong profile against the snowy mountains in the distance, with their pink or crimson colors, tall and sturdy trunks and dense petals. We are sure that you will spend a special springtime there, enjoying the combinations of the interlaced flowers, cornfields, brooks and mountains!

Plum blossoms

Nanjing Plum Blossom Hill, Jiangsu province
南京梅花山

Address: Zhongshan Mountain National Park, Nanjing city, Jiangsu province
General admission: 65 yuan ($ 9.89)
Ideal appreciation time: February and March

Named after its signature plants, this hill is located in the Zhongshan Mountain National Park and is known for the glorious history and rich variety of its plum trees. We highly recommend you visit during the early spring, as the fine drizzle falling on the mountain's sea of flowers will add a dreamlike quality to your trip to the Yangtze River Delta.

Rape seed flowers

Huangling Scenic Spot in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi province
江西婺源簧岭

Address: Huangling Scenic Spot in Wuyuan county, Jiangxi province
General admission: 120 yuan ($ 18.27)
Ideal appreciation time: March and April

Fancy seeing a golden floral sea while visiting Huangling? Covering an area of five kilometers, the rape seed flowers there are surrounded by fertile terraced fields, and look like a boundless golden painted scroll, stretching away towards the horizon. With white walls and black tiles, the traditional Hui-style dwellings are also an indispensable element of the beautiful memories you will make in this local idyll.

Peonies

Luoyang International Peony Garden, Henan province
河南洛阳国际牡丹园

Address: 22 Jichang Road, Mangshan town, Luoyang city, Henan province
General admission: Free
Ideal appreciation time: April and May

If you fancy discovering this national flower of China, the ideal destination is definitely Luoyang city, with its profound culture and history of peony planting. Covering an area of more than 25 hectares, the garden cultivates more than 680 breeds of tree peony and some 330 variety of herbaceous peony. The garden is known for its long flowering period and enchanting scenery. Don’t wait - add it to your flower appreciation itinerary at once!

Azaleas

Bijie Bailidujuan Scenic Area, Guizhou province
贵州毕节百里杜鹃风景名胜区

Address: Dashui village, Pudi township, Dafang county, Bijie city, Guizhou province
General admission: 50 yuan ($7.62)
Ideal appreciation time: March to May

If you wander in the largest natural garden in Biejie, Guizhou province, the wild azaleas of the city’s Bailidujuan Scenic Area will definitely give you the impression of an endless floral sea. The richest breeds, the brightest colors, one tree blossoming in seven colors, the largest azalea tree in the world… broaden your horizons with this garden's intriguing scenery!

Apricot blossoms

Turgen township of Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region
新疆伊犁新源县吐尔根乡

Address: Turgen township, Xinyuan county, Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region
General admission: Free
Ideal appreciation time: April

It must be fantastic to take a stroll in a floral pasture during the spring time. The ideal destination we recommend is in Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where a vast wild apricot blossom valley has stood since the Middle Ages. Nourished by the humid local climate and warm sunshine, it covers an area of more than 2,000 hectares and resembles the shape of a deer horn. The best time for capturing pictures of these flowers is one or two hours after sunrise, when the blossoms present an amazing contrast of light and shade!

Tulips

Hangzhou Taiziwan Park, Zhejiang province
浙江杭州太子湾公园

Address: 5-1 Nanshan Road, Xihu district, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province
General admission: Free
Ideal appreciation time: March and April

Though not native to Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, tulips have found their way to fame at the city’s Taiziwan Park. Located southwest of West Lake, the park is named after two "heirs apparent" from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) who were buried there, and boasts a landscape full of rustic appeal. Its annual tulip exhibition never lets any anthomaniac down with its grand scale and rich breeds!

Irises

Xihua Garden, Kunming, Yunnan province
云南昆明西华园

Address: 40 Xiba Road, Xishan district, Kunming city, Yunnan province
General admission: Free
Ideal appreciation time: April

In a city like Kunming where spring lingers all year around, flowers, beyond any doubt, are the most indispensable elements of daily life. The local Xihua Garden not only provides an ideal venue for iris exhibition, but also a wonderful display of traditional Bai ethnic dwellings. You are welcome to appreciate these buildings while immersing yourself in the colorful blossoms.