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Before I knew it, winter is almost over. I flipped through the calendar today and realized that February 4th, which is this Saturday, is the beginning of spring! I can't help but sigh that time flies by so fast.
At this time when winter and spring meet, a bright color quietly crawls out from the corners of walls, roadsides, and the wild. I wonder if you have noticed it?
Looking across the country, plum blossoms everywhere are eager to try, stretching their branches and exuding fragrance from their buds, ready to add some "color" to the coming spring.
Presumably, you can’t wait to smell the “fragrance of plum blossoms”. You Xiaoxia has prepared 12 visual wonders for viewing plum blossoms in early spring. You can enjoy hiking, flower viewing, flavoring, and handcrafting, so that you can have fun all at once!
📍Departure place: Hangzhou/Shanghai
Known as "the best plum blossoms in the world," Chaoshan's plum blossoms are renowned for their ancient, vast, and unique beauty. The "ancient" nature of these plum blossoms refers to my country's five ancient plum trees, dating back to the Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties. Chaoshan boasts two of these: the Tang plum and the Song plum. The Song plum boasts a history of over 800 years, while the Tang plum boasts over 1,200 years.
"Wide" refers to the fact that the Chaoshan plum blossoms stretch for more than ten miles, earning it the nickname "Ten Miles of Plum Blossoms and Fragrant Snow Sea." "Unique" refers to the fact that while most plum blossoms in the world have five petals, some Chaoshan plum blossoms have six.
After enjoying the plum blossoms on Chaoshan Mountain, we will go to Tangqi Ancient Town, which is located on the bank of the ancient Grand Canal. Tangqi Ancient Town was once the first of the ten ancient towns in Jiangnan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Here we can also see some ancient handicrafts that are about to be lost.
Have lunch in the town, where there are many delicious foods and you can find snacks and restaurants on your own.
📍Departure place: Hangzhou/Shanghai/Nanjing
Does the Flower-Making Fishing Village sell flowers or fish? Actually, this magical village is also called Hongling Village, located on the banks of the Xin'an River in She County.
It is called a fishing village because it is hidden in the mountain ridge. The head of the village is shaped like a fish's mouth, the waist of the village is like a fish's belly, and the foot of the village is like a fish's tail. Looking down from the mountain, the whole village looks like a big fish. Therefore, it is called a fishing village because the village is shaped like a fish.
But in fact, every household in the village basically makes a living by selling flowers and bonsai, so the flower-selling fishing village came into being in this miraculous way.
But what really makes the Flower-selling Fishing Village famous is the plum blossoms that cover the mountains. As soon as you reach the foot of the mountain, you can actually smell the strong fragrance of plum blossoms in the air.
Going up the mountain in search of flavor, I found that the plum trees on both sides of the mountain road were already in bud. Even though they had just been washed by rain, they still stubbornly opened their petals and bloomed proudly in the wind, with bright colors and overflowing fragrance.
Maihua Fishing Village and Wangmantian Village are not far from each other. The Lantern Festival is a major annual ritual and blessing event. Villagers believe that playing with fish lanterns brings peace and good fortune to the family and village for the coming year. Join the locals in preparing for the Fish Lantern Festival, interacting with them while truly immersing yourself in the local community and understanding the cultural significance of this century-old tradition.
📍Departure place: Hangzhou/Shanghai
This is the plum garden that became famous overnight. Several villagers from Fenghua, Ningbo, initially planted red plums, which are ornamental flowers and trees, in order to cultivate flower seedlings. However, it unexpectedly became "popular". More and more people discovered this treasure trove of plum blossom viewing, the Plum Blossom Mountain in Xinjian Village.
Hidden in the valley, it complements the green mountains. Looking around, you can see blooming flowers, green mountains, bright plum blossoms, and charming scenery, which has a unique charm.
After a winter of gestation, this plum forest has already blossomed with petals, shadows of flowers and fragrance. This vast sea of flowers and the beautiful scenery like the rosy clouds bring a visual feast of spring to those who come here to visit.
📍Departure place: Hangzhou
Suzhou's Xiangxuehai is known as the first of the "four major plum blossom viewing spots in China". The plum blossoms here spread over ten miles. At first glance, it looks like a rippling sea and snow covering the ground. Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong both came to Xiangxuehai several times to appreciate the plum blossoms.
This place enjoys the reputation of "the best fragrant snow plum blossoms in the world". Every early spring in February and March, plum blossoms bloom all over the mountains and fields, making it seem like you are in a paradise.
Xiangxuehai is very suitable for taking photos of large scenes. The breathtakingly beautiful scenery is like drinking a cup of plum blossom wine, and the feeling of being intoxicated in the heart is so addictive that you can't stop.
📍Departure place: Suzhou/Shanghai
It's time for a New Year's hike! China-TravelNote's inaugural Plum Blossom Hiking Festival is here! Tourists gather in the mountains of Taihu Lake to explore the ten-mile sea of plum blossoms and visit the famous plum blossom viewing spots in Wuzhong. This annual event combines hiking and plum blossom viewing for tourists.
This route features the best of Guangfu Xiaoqijian, a scenic section of the Taihu Mountains. Enjoy a rich variety of hiking trails, a vibrant mix of culture and scenery, making it a great choice for beginner hikers or spring outings. We also offer a leisure and outdoor group, each with its own unique badge!
Enjoying plum blossoms is also a must. Suzhou's Xiangxuehai (Fragrant Snow Lake) is considered one of China's four best plum blossom viewing destinations. Plum blossoms spread over ten miles, making this a relaxing and enjoyable day spent enjoying the blossoms while hiking.
📍Departure place: Hangzhou
Visiting the Jiangnan plum blossom viewing spot in winter, climbing to the top of Jiufeng Mountain and strolling in the plum blossom forest of Jiufeng Mountain is like wandering in the fragrant waves of snow.
"Ten thousand flowers dare to bloom in the snow, but one tree alone precedes the world in spring."
Jiufeng Mountain's plum forest is surrounded by hundreds of acres of plum trees. With its large area, numerous plum species and high density, it is a long-renowned destination for plum blossom viewing in the south of the Yangtze River.
At the end of winter, everything comes back to life, and the blooming of plum blossoms welcomes the arrival of spring. Hike to the top of the Nine Peaks and pass through the plum blossom check-in spots that are must-sees for locals.
📍Departure place: Suzhou
Zhangjiagang becomes graceful in early spring. People take off their thick cotton-padded jackets and put on thin coats full of spring.
The plum blossoms of Xiangshan Mountain bloom in full bloom between winter and spring. The thousand-acre plum garden is a vast expanse, resembling clouds and mist, a truly spectacular sight. In spring, Xiangshan Mountain is home to tens of thousands of plum trees of various varieties, including the pristine white of the Jade Plum, the emerald-like calyx of the Green-calyx Plum, the delicately rosy Palace Pink Plum, and the rouge-like Vermilion Plum.
In Meiling, you can sip tea and smell the fragrance of plum blossoms mid-mountain amidst the plum grove, marveling at the dazzling spectacle of thousands of plum trees, and gaze out over the serene Xiangshan Lake. Alternatively, you can wander through Peach Blossom Stream, where Xu Xiake once visited three times, and experience the mystical melody of pounding rocks and towering trees reaching for the sky. Follow China-TravelNote and feast your eyes on this mecca for plum blossom viewing.
📍Departure Place: Nanjing
Appreciating plum blossoms is a promise between Nanjing people and spring. With the arrival of early spring, more than 130 varieties of plum blossoms, including wintersweets, jade butterfly plums, cinnabar plums, green-calyx plums, and white plums, bloom in Fujiabian Plum Garden and on both sides of the road, forming a plum blossom avenue with unique mountain valley characteristics.
The colorful plum trees of Fujiabian Science and Technology Park are like a dream. The Plum Blossom Tunnel and Plum Blossom Square are filled with blossoms in full bloom! Besides enjoying the plum blossoms, the park also hosts a variety of interesting festivals, making it a popular destination for plum blossom viewing!
We will cross from Wuxiang Mountain to Fujiabian, passing mountain views, villages, and plum gardens along the way. As you hike, the scenery keeps changing. This hiking route is only available at this time, so don't miss it.
📍Departure place: Chengdu
This is a relatively unknown flower viewing spot, known as Chengdu's "Little Nyingchi." It is located at the foot of the Xiling Snow Mountain. Nourished by the snow-capped mountains, even the flowers and plants appear particularly vibrant.
When the ice and snow have not completely melted, the green plums here are already blooming. The fragrance of the branches is refreshing, and the flowers are subtle and graceful, adding a touch of poetry and romance.
Climbing to the top of the mountain, you'll see endless mountains in the distance, and a vast sea of pink flowers nearby. In this cozy little village, there's no hustle and bustle of people coming and going, only a quiet and leisurely place.
📍Departure place: Chengdu
Heming Mountain in Dayi County is not only the birthplace of Taoism, but also a holy place for flower viewing and hiking.
In early February, spring arrives before the arrival of plum blossoms on Heming Mountain. Their pink and white blossoms paint the entire mountain landscape. Strolling through the sea of plum blossoms, the occasional breeze creates a romantic scene of plum blossom snow.
Climbing to the top of the mountain, you will see a clean sea of flowers at your feet. The flowers are in full bloom and the scenery is charming, giving people a visual feast of spring.
Picture @Photo.net
While enjoying the flowers, you can also DIY bamboo tube rice in the mountains. You can chop bamboo, make bamboo tubes, fill them with glutinous rice, and make fire to cook them, and experience the fun of doing it yourself.
📍Departure place: Beijing
“The plum blossom is three parts less white than the snow, but the snow is one part less fragrant than the plum blossom.”
Wintersweets begin to bloom in winter and continue until early spring in March. The International Plum Garden in Jiufeng National Forest Park is a great place to enjoy plum blossoms in Beijing.
Picture @Photo.net
There is not only a plum blossom greenhouse for visitors to visit and exhibit, but also an outdoor plum garden that can withstand the cold in the open air. It covers as many as dozens of plum varieties and is the world's first botanical garden to showcase internationally registered varieties.
Picture @Photo.net
Every year from mid-March to mid-to-late May, the "Jiufeng Plum Blossom Festival" and the "Jiufeng National Forest Park Ecological Culture Festival" are held successively.
In fact, on the slopes of Jiufeng, although plum blossoms are the undisputed protagonist, many other flowers also bloom in this season of blooming mountain flowers, such as mountain peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, locust blossoms, peonies, etc. So while you enjoy the plum blossoms, you might as well savor their charm.
Picture @Photo.net
📍Departure place: Beijing
Xiangshui Lake is another beautiful and unique tourist destination in the suburbs of Beijing. It is located west of the Mutianyu Great Wall in Huairou. It is a natural beautiful valley that integrates the Great Wall, ancient caves, mountains, rivers, springs, pools and waterfalls.
Every spring, Xiangshui Lake hosts a grand plum blossom festival, featuring both indoor and outdoor exhibitions of plum blossoms along the Great Wall. The indoor exhibition hall, covering over 1,000 square meters, showcases over 30 varieties of plum blossoms from three major categories, along with over 1,000 bonsai pots. The "Longyou Plum" exhibition offers a breathtaking visual experience for visitors. The outdoor exhibition, which opens in early March, will be held on both sides of the Great Wall and in the Great Wall Plum Garden.
Picture @Xiangshui Lake Official
In addition to appreciating the plum blossoms, we can also personally experience the production of traditional Chinese Han handicrafts, and make a round fan with family and friends that symbolizes family reunion, family happiness, and family joy. We can also gather together to taste authentic folk banquets.
Picture @Xiangshui Lake Official
You can also go to Dingxiumeiquan Town to appreciate the European-style architecture and see the European scenery. We can also step on the city wall and feel the majestic style of the Great Wall. This is the correct way to welcome spring!
Picture @Xiangshui Lake Official
In fact, there are countless places across the country where you can see plum blossoms. After all, "appreciating plum blossoms" is a cultural tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years among the Chinese people.
