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Every spring, the flower show starts with plum blossoms, followed by peach blossoms, rape blossoms, cherry blossoms, azaleas, and finally lavender. Spring is almost over, followed by the lotus flowers and lotus leaves of summer.
But it is really difficult to calculate the flowering period accurately. After all, there are only two days in a week when flowers are in bloom. It may rain or be cloudy. Or there may be a heavy rain in the first two days, which may knock down all the flowers.
To capture visually striking, vibrant, and stunning photos, first, the flowers must be vibrant; second, the weather must be favorable; third, the flowers themselves must be beautiful; and fourth, photo editing skills must be mastered.
In recent years, due to my leadership and some of my own desire to visit new places, I have been able to visit many different flower gardens in East China. Now I want to share some of my experiences with you.
The flowering period starts from the Chinese New Year and lasts until the end of February. The peak flowering period is in mid-February, and there are still sparse and scattered red plum blossoms in early March.
There are three steps to appreciate plum blossoms:
Stage 1: Plum Blossom Exploration - Searching for Plum Blossoms That Are About to Bloom
Stage 2: Plum Blossom Appreciation – Appreciating the Plum Blossoms in Full Bloom
Stage 3: Encountering Plum Blossoms – Appreciating the “Withering and Decaying” of Plum Blossoms
The new Plum Blossom Mountain, Chaoshan Plum Sea, Anji Plum Blossom Valley, Guangfu Xiangxue Sea and Nanjing Plum Blossom Mountain were built.
✤ (Ningbo) Newly built Plum Blossom Mountain Highlights: Saiwaipai, with red plum blossoms all over the mountain, close to Chiang's former residence.
✤ (Hangzhou) Chaoshan Plum Sea Highlights: Jiangnan School, Chaoshan plum blossoms have a long history and are close to Tangqi Ancient Town.
✤ (Anji) Anji Plum Blossom Valley Highlights: The sea of fragrant snow with red and white plum blossoms interlaced.
✤(Suzhou) Guangfu Xiangxuehai Highlights: One of the four sacred places for plum blossom viewing, with a long history and a wide variety of varieties, famous all over the world.
✤(Nanjing) Meihua Mountain Highlights: Jiangnan School, "the best Meihua Mountain in the world", combined with ancient buildings.
I went there three times in a row, and finally saw the Xinjian Village I imagined on the third visit. It is a place where flowers bloom relatively early, and they have been blooming since the Chinese New Year, but the flowering period varies from year to year.
The best flowering period is February 15th-20th. The red blossoms, combined with the lush green lawns, are beautiful in any photo. Be sure to leave plenty of time; if it's not raining, it's perfect for a picnic.
No admission fee is currently charged.
Flower-selling Fishing Village, located in She County, Anhui Province, at the foot of Mount Huangshan, is a village that primarily makes its living from potted plants. Unfortunately, the Hui-style architecture here is more modern, losing some of its ancient charm.
No admission fee is currently charged.
The flowering period of Anji Dameihai is later than that of the plum blossoms in Xinjian Village. I went there too early in 2019 and saw only scattered plum blossoms. Although they were not as stunning as those in Xinjian Village, the simultaneous blooming of white and red plum blossoms on the top of the mountain is also a rare and beautiful scene.
There is no charge at present, but a fee will be charged when the scenic spot is completed in 20 years.
From mid-March to the end of March, peach blossoms can be seen along with rape blossoms, and the most spectacular peach blossoms in East China are those in Yuandong.
Yuandong Taohuawu (outside the Great Wall, a peach blossom forest in the mountains)
Peach blossoms can be seen everywhere in Southern Anhui/Wuyuan (Guyun School)
When I first saw this place, the cauliflower and peach blossoms were in bloom at the same time. The yellow mixed with the pink peach blossoms was particularly charming. When I actually went there, I found that the peach blossoms covered a huge area, and the flowers were very full and the pink color was very beautiful.
No tickets are currently available.
To be precise, the peach blossoms in Wuli Village are all on flat ground. Meanwhile, those in Dingyangling Village, Yuandong, are on a small hillside, giving them a stronger sense of depth. Furthermore, the peach blossoms become increasingly vibrant as they bloom and fall.
No tickets are currently available.
Yuandong Townshipcheck the details
Yuandong boasts ten miles of peach blossoms, and the fragrance of fruit spreads across thousands of miles. This is undoubtedly the largest natural peach blossom forest in East China, a veritable avenue of flowers. Compared to Wuyuan's internet-famous status, its rapeseed flowers are a lesser-known attraction. This area is renowned for its terraced fields, where you'll be greeted by a 500-acre sea of flowers, layered and cascading. Strolling along the scenic path through the sea of flowers, you'll unknowingly embark on a journey to combat prostitution. The surrounding villages are even more stunning, each farmhouse adorned in vibrant colors, evoking the feeling of a fairytale town in a dreamlike dream.
Recommended months: March-April
1268 recommendations, 6741 visits
Recommended flower viewing routes
1. Taoyuan Village (Dingyangling Village)
Taoyuan Village has special peach blossom viewing platforms, located on the hilltops on the south and north sides of the village, and can be reached in a 10-minute walk.
Route reference: Xietang entrance of Provincial Highway 03 (Tangyuan Line) - Xinmei Village - Yuandong Central School - Shanxiashi Village - Ding Village - Taoyuan Village
2. Houshi Village (Shangjing Village)
Houshi Village is located in the northwest of Yuandong Township. There are large areas of peach blossoms in front of and behind the village. Here you can see peach blossoms flowing down the mountain stream with the water.
Route reference: Xietang entrance of Provincial Highway 03 (Tangyuan Line) - Xinmei Village - Shanxia Shi Village - Houshi Village
3. Dongye Village
Dongye Village is the hometown of Shi Fuliang and his son Shi Guangnan.
Route reference: 03 Provincial Road Yuandong Intersection - Xietang Cao Village - Xietang Shanzao Village - Yuandong Xinmei Village - Yagao Village - Dongye Village
4. Baishui Rock
Baishuiyan is located on the top of a mountain in the northern part of Yuandong Township. It is the only flower-viewing spot in Yuandong that requires hiking. From the top of the mountain, you can have a distant view of the entire Yuandong Township and overlook the sea of peach blossoms.
Route: Provincial Highway 03, Yuandong Intersection - Xietang Cao Village - Xietang Shanzao Village - Yuandong Xinmei Village - Yagao Village - Shanxia Shi Village (get off at the north of the village and walk there)
5. Dongjing Village
Dongjing Village is an ancient village with a history of thousands of years. The fifth-generation ancestor of scholar Cao Juren was born here.
Route reference: Provincial Highway 03, Caozhai Pan Village - Caozhai Mayan Reservoir - Yuandong Fenshuigang Village - Dongjing Village
6. Changtang Xu Village
Changtangxu Village is located in the southeast of Yuandong Township. Peach blossoms are blooming on both sides of the road leading to Changtangxu. Changtangxu has five cultural relics protection sites, all of which are ancient buildings and residences from the Minqing period.
Route reference: Xietang Entrance of Provincial Highway 03 - Xietang Fantianhong - Xietang Yangcun - Tangxu Village
Mid-March to the end of March.
Jinhua Zhuanlun Rock (From the Saiwai Sect, the most beautiful redbud flowers in Zhejiang are in Lanxi)
Zhuanlunyan is famous for its wild redbuds, which blanket the mountain in purple in mid-to-late March. After ascending the steps to Guanyanchen Village and passing the first pavilion, you'll see the flower fields. From the second pavilion, you'll see a vast expanse, eliminating the need to climb to the summit.
Wheel Rockcheck the details
Zhuanlun Rock, also known as Lingyan, is located south of Meijiang Town, Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province. Its highest point is 620 meters above sea level, rising dramatically from the southern edge of the Meijiang Basin. Standing at the foot of the rock, it resembles a thumbs-up sign. Standing atop it, you can see Zhoushang Village, fifty miles away, with the emerald waters of the Lanjiang River at your feet. Mountains, fields, and villages are all visible. Hiking along the ancient trail, you'll find the winding redbud area stretching for over ten miles, characterized by its secluded, elegant, ancient, and magical qualities. The area boasts bizarre rock formations of varying shapes, lush forests brimming with fragrance, and numerous lakes and ponds shimmering with light.
Recommended months: March-April
3669 recommendations, 3059 visits
Mid-March to the end of March.
Huizhou (Xin'an River, Wuyuan, Shitan, Lucun, Kecun, Jiapeng, Baiji), Fuzhishan, Xianju, Xinghua.
Wuyuan Highlights: Entering Wuyuan, you'll be greeted by vibrant pink peach blossoms, pear blossoms, golden terraced rapeseed blossoms, and white-walled, black-tiled dwellings, creating a breathtaking natural landscape. (The best viewing time for each location depends on the blooming season. Jiangling is famous for its large rapeseed blossoms, making them truly spectacular.)
☘Xin'an River Highlights: The combination of water and ancient charm ☘Jiapeng Highlights: Green and yellow terraced fields, backed by a mountain shaped like "Zhagana" (few people!)
☘Baiji Highlights: Few people, just like Jiapeng, no worse than Wuyuan ☘Kecun Highlights: The largest rapeseed basin in southern Anhui
☘Fuzhi Mountain Highlights: Climbing the Stone Waves
☘Xinghua Highlights: Rapeseed Flowers on the Water
The northern route is relatively unpopular and has fewer people, but there are no large-scale terraced rapeseed fields.
There are few people and the scenery is beautiful. The most beautiful rapeseed field is here.
Late March to early April.
Yuantouzhu (Yoshino cherry blossoms, combining ancient charm with architecture)
Dalan (late cherry blossoms, tea fields, and red maples, showcasing the Jiangnan style of the Great Wall)
The cherry blossoms at Yuantouzhu are perfect for portraits. Here are eight great spots for cherry blossom viewing: 1. Changchun Flower Ripples 2. Cherry Blossom Pavilion 3. Renjie Garden 4. Ten-mile Fragrant Path 5. Chongshan Hidden Beauty 6. Sakura Valley 7. Cherry Blossom Bridge 8. Juqu Scenic Spot
Unlike the cherry blossoms in Yuantouzhu, Dalan is more suitable for viewing with the naked eye and aerial photography.
If you don’t like crowds and want to bring your pets, you can consider Wanwei Mountain. Although the flowers are not as dense as those in Yuantouzhu, they are still beautiful.
Late April to mid-May.
Taoyuanjian (mountains covered with red azaleas)
Huading Rhododendron (Millennial Brocade on Huading Mountain, with pale purple flower buds)
(20170429: I went a week early, but the weather was great, I was in a good mood, and I met some lovely friends. I still think I'll go again for the beautiful scenery.)
There are three major viewing spots for Huading Rhododendron: 1. Xiyuan Rhododendron Forest 2. Millennium Yunjin Rhododendron Forest 3. International Rhododendron Boutique Garden.
1. Good weather allows for large-scale filming
2. The weather is not good to capture details, take portraits, and be addicted to post-production
3. Clothing selection: single color, bright colors, staggered colors
