The Pingyin Crabapple Festival Welcomes a Blossom-Peaking Crowd
At the Crabapple Garden of Pingyin’s Our Lady Mountain, blooming crabapple flowers showcase their most stunning forms in the spring breeze. In this terraced garden built along the mountainside, visitors—men and women alike—crowd under windmills, among flower clusters, and by the streamlets, gathering from all directions to admire this floral feast.
This year, the Yushan Subdistrict of Pingyin County adopted an innovative approach by forgoing an opening ceremony and instead investing nearly 2 million yuan to upgrade and renovate the Crabapple Garden. Since April 4, the newly refurbished garden has opened its doors to visitors. By April 14, visitor numbers peaked at over ten thousand per day.
From April 13 to 14, under the careful planning and organization of the Jinan Times Spring City Volunteers Contact Station and the Yushan Subdistrict Office of Pingyin, a group of campers and cycling enthusiasts from Jinan held a tent gathering beneath the crabapple blossoms. They admired the crabapples, visited a church, sang love songs, cooked outdoors, camped in tents, and competed in photography—all promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle and advocating for ecological tourism and civilized garden visits.
Lightning Riders Cycle 87 Kilometers to Reach the Crabapple Garden
At 9 a.m. on April 13, a group of cyclists were ready to depart at Quancheng Square. Dressed in uniform travel attire, wearing helmets, and riding mountain bikes, they set off from there for the Pingyin Crabapple Garden. According to team leader Wang Nan, they were members of the Yurun Lightning Riders Cycling Club. Due to strong winds, over thirty originally registered participants did not all show up. Headwinds of force five or six posed a significant challenge for long-distance cyclists, so out of the initial twenty-plus riders, a few “less determined ones” gradually dropped out midway. Ultimately, four “Lightning Braves” persevered, completing the full 87-kilometer journey in six hours despite 29°C heat and strong headwinds, arriving safely at the Our Lady Mountain Crabapple Garden.
At 4:44 p.m., when Wang Nan and his three companions arrived at the crabapple garden, the garden’s management and many fellow travelers welcomed them with banners and a warm reception, cheering on these brave cyclists who braved the elements.
Admire Crabapples, Visit a Church—the Charm of Our Lady Mountain Enchants Travelers
As a key project of the Yushan Subdistrict, the Southern-style garden-style Crabapple Garden has gained increasing fame in recent years. Friends from across the country come here to admire crabapples, taste fine wine, and visit the church. Upon learning that the garden houses over 200,000 crabapple trees with nearly all varieties found nationwide, these seasoned outdoor enthusiasts—known as “old hikers”—were amazed, with camera shutters clicking nonstop. Beyond the crabapple blossoms, the garden’s streams, ponds, unique rocks, and windmills also stand out. Goldfish in the water, Qilu stones, and the windmills all became popular subjects for the travelers’ cameras.
The Our Lady Mountain Cathedral, not far from the crabapple garden, also captured the travelers’ attention. This grand cathedral, built in the late 19th century and still standing impressively despite the passage of time, complements the vibrant colors of the crabapple garden. Accompanied by detailed introductions from the Our Lady Mountain preachers, the site drew continuous exclamations of awe from visitors.
Tents “Bloom” in the Crabapple Garden, Love Songs Fill the Air with Joy
After sightseeing and flower viewing, as evening fell, the travelers began setting up camps and cooking outdoors. That evening, hikers from the Quancheng Volunteers Outdoor Love Alliance kicked off an outdoor tent gathering themed “Green Outdoors, Healthy Living.” The travelers split into two groups: the men pitched tents while the women prepared dough, washed vegetables, and made dumplings for a hearty dinner.
Under the crabapple trees, the men and children methodically laid out mats and pitched tents. Zheng Yiran, a 10-year-old young traveler from Jinan, has been participating in outdoor camping since age 3, joining her grandfather on trips to places like Mount Tai and Xiyang Ladder Mountain. With rich camping experience, she skillfully worked with her mother and grandfather that day to level the ground, lay mats, and set up tents. Before long, beneath the beautiful crabapple trees, colorful tents bloomed like flowers, forming a unique “tent flower sea.” In the campsite, excited children played and darted between tents, sometimes dancing and singing joyfully, other times resting inside the tents, fully enjoying the grassland revelry amid the scenic landscape.
At 6:30 p.m. that evening, in a venue within the scenic area, tables were lined up and fine wine and dishes served as the crabapple garden’s rural banquet officially began. After a few rounds of drinks, the travelers’ spirits soared. With music, lights, and accompaniment, beautiful love songs drifted through the Our Lady Mountain night on the evening breeze. At the love-song duet session, travelers sang and danced to the tunes, improvising and performing spontaneously. Laughter filled the air, drawing over 100 local residents to join in. “Normally busy with work, I came to the tent gathering over the weekend to make friends through flowers, share feelings through song, breathe in the rich floral scents, and stroll through the fields—enjoying nature’s pleasures all to myself,” shared Yang Kun, who was trying outdoor camping for the first time.
As night deepened, the warm evening breeze rustled the crabapple petals like flying snowflakes. Travelers crawled into the carefully pitched tents amidst the flower clusters, lulled by the fragrance of blossoms, and gradually drifted into sleep.
Our Lady Mountain Crabapple Garden Sees Spotlight Performance by Yushan “Rap Troupe”
Dance joyfully, sing happily... On the morning of April 14, the sound of singing rose again in the crabapple garden. It turned out the Yushan Subdistrict was hosting the debut tour performance of its Policy Theory Rap Troupe. Due to it being the weekend, the venue was packed early. At 10 a.m., the performance officially began. Although not as polished as professional acts, the performers on stage gave it their all. From songs, dances, and “San Ju Ban” (a traditional comedic form) to comedy duos, crosstalk, and Peking Opera, over ten audience-created acts kept passersby stopping to watch and take photos.
To better study and implement the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and bring theoretical education closer to the people, the Yushan Subdistrict assembled retired teachers, veteran artists, and culture enthusiasts to form the 18th CPC National Congress Policy Theory Rap Troupe. By having locals perform stories close to home, the troupe integrates topics of interest to residents—such as the Party’s theories and policies, the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress and Two Sessions, and social ethics—into entertaining programs. Through rap performances, they deliver passion and warmth to thousands of households.
Photography Competition Showcases Entries and Awards Prizes
Crabapple flowers at the Our Lady Mountain Crabapple Garden bloom vibrantly in the wind. Around 10 a.m. on April 14, the hiker photography competition hosted by the Yushan Subdistrict Office commenced as scheduled. Over 80 hikers from Jinan competed in a photography contest themed around the crabapple garden. Tourists, photographers, hikers, and photography experts clicked their shutters, focusing on the crabapples, capturing creative works such as tree poses, potted plant close-ups, and scenes of visitors filling the garden—all showcasing the garden’s fresh elegance and picturesque beauty from various angles.
This event perfectly blended crabapple flowers with a photography competition, highlighting Pingyin’s rich natural and cultural charm. “Pingyin’s Four Seasons Enchant, All Sing of Crabapple Spring”—many hikers arrived early at the crabapple garden, using their cameras to capture the garden’s exquisite spring scenery. Wandering through the crabapple clusters, each vividly colored blossom was intoxicating. Within a morning, hikers recorded every detail of the garden with their cameras, showcasing their skills by taking a total of 5,000 images. The beauty of crabapples in the spring breeze, the winding flow of the streamlets, and the majestic presence of the church were all captured vividly. After screening by visitors and experts, ten works won awards. “In all our years of outdoor activities, it’s quite rare to encounter such a picturesque scene with such a romantic atmosphere. We’ll definitely come back next time!” the hikers said.