As April arrives, it’s the season when flowers compete in a dazzling display of beauty. From south to north, peach blossoms smile in the spring breeze. Plan your flower-viewing trip according to the blooming schedule. Meet up with family and friends under the blossoms, leisurely strolling through seas of crimson — completely lost in the moment. Peach blossoms, crabapple blossoms, tulips, lilacs, magnolia… countless fragrances and endless beauties to admire.
Traveling for flowers — because you have love in your heart; admiring beauty — because the flowering season is romantic. Those who love flower viewing often harbor a touch of the refined lifestyle, enchanted by the feeling of romantic scenes in nature and captivated by the delicate beauty of falling petals, even in their fleeting sadness. Flower viewing requires not just mood, but also the right place — whether nearby or far away. Only when your state of mind aligns with the scene can you truly appreciate its artistic ambiance and charm.
Currently, the Beijing Botanical Garden Peach Blossom Festival has already begun. The “largest crabapple forest in urban Beijing,” located in the Yuan Dadu City Wall Relics Park, is also waiting for visitors to enjoy. Meanwhile, the peach blossoms of Pinggu are nationally renowned... April is the height of the flowering season — make the most of your holidays to go out and enjoy the fresh air and blossoms.
Viewing Peach Blossoms at Beijing Botanical Garden
Lilac Flowers
Reason for Recommendation: Lilacs are hailed as the Sea of Fragrant Snow and were once ranked among the three great floral events of the capital alongside the peonies of Chongxiao Temple and the crabapple blossoms of Prince Gong’s Mansion.
Fayuan Temple is a historic and renowned temple. Its gardens are elegant, home to lush pines, cypresses, ginkgos, and lilacs — including a Yuan Dynasty white-bark pine, Qing Dynasty scholar-tree fruits, and two West-Plains crabapple trees planted by Emperor Qianlong. Thus, Fayuan Temple is famous for its lilacs and crabapple blossoms, attracting many notable figures to linger and compose poetry.
The best time to visit Fayuan Temple is late spring to early summer, when the lilacs — known as the Sea of Fragrant Snow — were once ranked among the three great floral events of the capital alongside the peonies of Chongxiao Temple and the crabapple blossoms of Prince Gong’s Mansion.
Lilac flowers are small, blooming in clusters of white and purple, usually with four petals and a bittersweet fragrance. When they bloom, especially in the evening, their rich scent wafts through the air, intoxicating all who pass. The lilac is one of Fayuan Temple’s Three Treasures. Both the front courtyard and backyard are planted with lilacs — not only in great abundance and forming a veritable forest, but also featuring diverse varieties and colors. Aside from native North China purple lilacs and their white-flowered variants, there are also foreign lilacs said to have been brought back by Zheng He during his voyages to the South Seas from the Maluku Islands.
Flower Viewing Tips:
Best Viewing Period: Mid-April to Early May
Ticket Price: 5 RMB
Address: No. 7 Fayuan Qianjie, Xuanwu District, Beijing
How to Get to Fayuan Temple: Take bus routes 109, 105, 743, or 57 to Niujiē Nánkǒu or Jiàozi Hútòng, then walk east.