Spring comes slowly, and plants grow lush. Amid the gentle willow breeze, the ancient capital Beijing also exudes a rich floral fragrance, as the world frozen over winter begins to stir: Yuyuantan will welcome cherry blossoms like snow, and Tanzhe Temple will greet magnolia blooms fairer than jade.
In March, the wintersweet at the Reclining Buddha Temple in the Botanical Garden is still in full bloom, while the winter jasmine at Jingshan Park has quietly begun to flower. The main events, however, are the annual Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom Festival and the Botanical Garden Peach Blossom Festival. The Yuyuantan Cherry Blossom Festival will kick off this Friday, and the Botanical Garden Peach Blossom Festival is expected to open later this month. Flowers everywhere are competing in splendor. For those who enjoy liveliness, head to Yuyuantan to immerse yourself in the vibrant cherry blossoms; for those seeking tranquility, visit Tanzhe Temple or Dajue Temple to admire the serene magnolia blooms in ancient temples.
With grass growing and orioles flying, it’s the perfect season for flower viewing. When do the flowers bloom, and where are they at their best? Starting today, our newspaper launches the “Flower Season” column, featuring daily “Flower Updates” from Beijing’s parks and historic sites, fields and roadside spots, inviting you to enjoy the “flower spectacle” together.
Details on flower viewing in selected parks
Dajue Temple · Magnolia
Best viewing time: April
Address: No. 9, Dajue Temple Road, Xishan, Beianhe Township, Haidian District
Public transport: Take Bus 633
Driving route: Drive straight along Junzhuang Road to reach the destination
Beijing Botanical Garden · Peach Blossom
Best viewing time: Late March to early May
Park address: Wofosi Road, Xiangshan, Haidian District
Public transport: Bus 634, among others
Driving route: Exit at Xiangshan on the Fourth or Fifth Ring Road, then follow the signs
Beijing International Sculpture Park · Magnolia
Best viewing time: Late March to April
Park address: Wofosi Road, Xiangshan, Haidian District
Public transport: Get off at Yuquanlu Station on Subway Line 1, then take Bus 337 and get off at the west exit of Yuquan Intersection
Driving route: Head west from Wukesong on the West Fourth Ring Road
Tanzhe Temple · Magnolia
Best viewing time: Expected late March to April
Address: Tanzhe Temple Town, Mentougou District
Public transport: Take the subway to Pingguoyuan, then transfer to Bus 931
Driving route: Enter Lianshi Road and drive west, enter Shimenying Roundabout, continue straight onto G108 National Road, enter Tanzhe Temple Roundabout, take Tanwang Road, drive 2.7 km along Tanwang Road to reach the destination
Beihai Park · Willow Viewing
Best viewing time: March to May
Park address: No. 1 Wenjin Street, Xicheng District (north of the Forbidden City)
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 109 Electric. Subway Line 1 (Tiananmen West Station), Line 4 (Xisi Station)
Driving route: Head south on Ping’an Avenue onto Xishiku Street, then east to Wenjin Street
Yuyuantan Park · Cherry Blossoms
Best viewing period: Late March to April
Address: Middle Section of West Third Ring Road, Haidian District
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 300. Subway Line 1 (Military Museum Station)
Driving route: From Gongzhufen heading north, exit the main road in advance — there’s a parking lot north of the west gate. From north to south, go under Hangtian Bridge and park near the TV Tower
Taoranting Park · Winter Jasmine & Mountain Peach
Best viewing period: March to April
Park address: No. 16 Longzhuaigui Hutong, Xicheng District
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 53. Subway Line 4 (Taoranting Station)
Driving route: Northwest side of Taoran Bridge on the South Second Ring Road
Jingshan Park · Winter Jasmine
Best viewing period: March to April
Park address: No. 44 Jingshan East Street, Xicheng District
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 101 Electric. Subway Line 1 (Tiananmen West Station), Line 4 (Xisi Station)
Driving route: Head south on Ping’an Avenue onto Jingshanhou Street, then west to Jingshanxi Street — you’ll reach the west gate of Jingshan Park, which has a parking lot
Zhongshan Park · Winter Jasmine & Mountain Peach
Best viewing period: March to April
Park address: Donghuamen Road, Dongcheng District
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 1. Subway Line 1 (Tiananmen West Station)
Driving route: Head north on Chang’an Avenue onto Nan Chang Street to reach the west gate of Zhongshan Park, which has a parking lot
Temple of Heaven Park · Lilacs
Best viewing period: Mid- to late April
Park address: No. 7 Dongli, Temple of Heaven Park, Dongcheng District
Transportation: Routes such as Bus 120. Subway Line 5 (Tiantan East Gate Station)
Driving route: Head north from Jingtai Bridge on the South Second Ring Road
Phoenix Ridge · Apricot Blossoms
Best viewing period: April
Address: No. 19 Fenghuangling Road, Sujiatuo Town, Haidian District
Transportation: Take Bus No. 346
Driving Route: Take the Badaling Expressway to the Beianhe Exit, head west, follow Beiqing Road to the Suzhuangtuo or Beianhe intersection, then go north to Nieguezhuang and continue west to reach the scenic area directly
Flower Updates
Most cherry blossoms at Yuyuantan are in bud
The Cherry Blossom Festival opens on Friday, with 2,000 cherry trees across the park available for viewing
The 25th Yuyuantan Park Cherry Blossom Culture Festival, themed “Blooming Prosperity – Cherry Reds Greet Spring,” will kick off this Friday.
Current observations show that most cherry blossoms are in the budding stage. Assuming normal warming in mid-to-late March, this year’s early cherry blossom season will be slightly earlier than last year. Based on experience, when the daily average temperature stays above 12°C for a week, early cherry blossoms will bloom in large numbers. Meanwhile, Yuyuantan Park will offer a variety of activities including spring outings, flower appreciation, cultural events, and welcoming the spring with blessings, allowing citizens to fully enjoy the romantic charm of spring during the Qingming holiday.
Yuyuantan Park has nearly 2,000 cherry trees of over 20 varieties for visitors to enjoy, featuring the “Eight Scenic Spots of Cherry Blossoms” such as “Early Blossoms Announcing Spring,” “By the Water,” and “Cherry and Crabapple Dawn.” In addition, newly planted early-blooming cherry varieties such as Cerasus × nudiflora 'Kawazu-zakura', as well as newly cultivated varieties like Hangzhou Early Cherry and Sunshine, will make their debut to visitors.
Cherry blossoms are generally divided into two major categories: early blooming and late blooming. Depending on the variety, they bloom successively over the course of a month. Since each cherry blossom variety has a short flowering period, visitors can keep up with bloom updates through this newspaper’s Flower Updates column or via the Yuyuantan Park website and official Weibo account.
During the Cherry Blossom Festival, the regular ticket price is 10 RMB per person, and the discounted ticket is 5 RMB per person. Annual, seasonal, and monthly passes, as well as senior citizen discount cards, are valid all day on weekdays but invalid from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekends and statutory holidays (April 4, 5, and 6 for Qingming Festival).