The 11th Beijing Chrysanthemum Culture Festival opened in September and will last until mid-November. The city has set up six exhibition areas including Beijing International Flower Port in Shunyi District, International Grape Exhibition Garden, Beihai Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, Temple of Heaven and Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers. Nearly 800 varieties and 600,000 pots/seedlings of chrysanthemums will decorate Beijing for more than two months.

Beihai Park

The annual chrysanthemum exhibition is held at Chanfu Temple of Beihai Park in Beijing, displaying a great varieties of chrysanthemum flowers at 14 exhibition halls.

Beihai Park covers a water area of 583 mu. Built in Liao and Jin Dynasties as a temporary royal dwelling palace and renovated in Ming and Qing Dynasties as a royal garden, it is one of the most representative royal gardens.

Speaking of appreciating chrysanthemum in autumn, the first that springs to the mind of most Beijingers is exactly Beihai Park. With the advent of autumn, in addition to chrysanthemum, there are also achingly blue skies, crystal clear lake surface with reflections of beautiful pagodas. Beihai Park in autumn seems full of the lingering yet not overwhelming fragrance.

Address: No.1, Wenjin Street, Xicheng District 西城区文津街1号

Traffic: take bus No.13, 42, 90 and 107 and get off at the north gate of Beihai Park; or take Subway Line 6 and get off at Beihai North Station.

Ticket: 10 yuan

Beijing Botanical Garden

As a part of the ongoing cultural festival of chrysanthemum flowers which was held at six scenic areas in Beijing, the chrysanthemum exhibition at the Beijing Botanical Garden brings together over 50,000 pots of chrysanthemum flowers at a 7,000-square-meters area.

With a theme of “Li Zan Jin Qiu (Salute to Autumn)” the exhibition displays in several new forms like backcloth of bamboo art and flower windows. A variety of dahlias are planted around the flower sea, which phonetically symbolize the meaning of blessings.

The exhibition will run until mid-November.

Address: Xiangshan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 北京市海淀区香山路

Traffic: Take bus No. 331, 505, 634, 714, 360 or 318 and get off at Beijing Botanical Garden or Wofo Temple stop; take the XIJIAO Line Tram to Beijing Botanical Garden Station.

Ticket: 10 RMB for an adult; 5 RMB for a child

Tel: 010-82598771; 010-62591561

International Grape Exhibition Garden

This year, the Chrysanthemum Cultural Festival at the International Grape Exhibition Garden was divided into indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. Integrating with circled shape of grape and a style of concision, the garden was designed into "One Line, Two Exhibitions and Eight Districts".

"One Line" suggests axis line of the area. "Two Exhibitions" means outdoor horticultural exhibition and indoor boutique exhibition. "Eight Districts" implies eight exhibition districts: chrysanthemum viewing district, landscape gardening district, chrysanthemum species district, boutique variety district, floricultural district, painting and calligraphy works of chrysanthemum flowers district, chrysanthemum culture experience district and flower themed products section.

Address: 800m from south of Xialufengying Village, Zhangshan Town, Yanqing District, Beijing.北京市延庆区张山营镇下芦凤营村村南800米

Tel: 010-81186018

Transportation: Take bus No. 919 from Deshengmen Stop and get off at Sijiaying Stop; then transfer bus No.Y1 to arrival.

International Flower Port

With a theme of "Juyun Huagang, Shengmei Zhonghua (Chrysanthemum flowers bloom at the flower port, beautiful China)", the Beijing International Flower Port showcases a flower sea of 34 varieties of outdoor flowers and over 200 boutique chrysanthemums at an exhibition area of more than 100, 000 square meters, creating a splendid artwork of nature 238 varieties of chrysanthemum flowers cultivated by new boutique chrysanthemums.

Apart from the chrysanthemum flowers exhibition, visitors can also enjoy other cultural activities such as theme calligraphy and painting exhibition, fair of draw-bar boxes and puppet cruise. In addition, the upgraded pet garden, kid's world, entertainment projects including swan appreciating, horse riding, boating and double-decker bus tour will also add fun for visitors.

Address: No.9 Xianhuagang (Flower Port) South Road, Yang Town, Shunyi District,Beijing北京市顺义区杨镇鲜花港南路9号

Tel: 010-61417123

Transportation: Take bus No. 915, 918 (Shunyi), 923 to Nancai Stop, and transfer No. 41 or Flower Port Express.

Take subway line M15 to Fengbo stop, and transfer to bus No. 915, 918, 923 to Nancai Stop, then transfer to No. 41 or Flower Port Express.