With magnolia trees swaying gracefully along Chang'an Avenue, ancient temples unveiling their first lilac blossoms in a millennium, and cherry blossoms painting the shores of East Lake like clouds, alongside the carefree bloom of golden trumpet trees in Nanning City, Guangxi Province... Spring has arrived, bringing forth a profusion of flowers across the nation. People are flocking to parks and countryside to revel in the beauty of flowers, igniting a "flower appreciation fever" and infusing urban and rural consumption with vibrant energy.

Vibrant "Flower Seas" Enliven Urban Flower Viewing Tourism

In Wuhan City, the radiant March sun casts over half a million cherry blossom trees along the banks of the two rivers, transforming them into pink floral oceans. At Wuhan's East Lake Cherry Blossom Park, visitors leisurely stroll along the lake shore and aerial walkway, immersing themselves in the ethereal world of cherry blossoms. The park is alive with various performances such as paper-cutting, flower-themed opera, and spring outing and picnic activities creating a bustling atmosphere.

For three consecutive years, Hubei Province has launched the "Spring Sakura Viewing" brand event to establish itself as a destination for flower viewing tourism. At the start of this flower season, Hubei Province distributed 2 million cultural tourism vouchers to tourists nationwide, driving over 220 activities across 17 cities and prefectures in the province. Wuhan City introduced Ten Main Spring Tours and hosted four series of cultural tourism activities: flower viewing, traditional Chinese style, art and culture, and countryside outings.

In Beijing, a myriad of beautiful cherry blossoms adorn ancient trees and buildings, creating a splendid and colorful scenery. At Yuyuantan Park, over 40 varieties of nearly 3,000 cherry blossoms bloom successively, extending the viewing period for about a month due to their different species.

"I've been photographing cherry blossoms for over 20 years, and I come here every year." 76-year-old Beijing resident Zhao Luxi holds his camera, capturing the beauty before him. He shares that he spends all four seasons "chasing flowers" in various parks in Beijing, not only for physical exercise but also for spiritual relaxation.

At the Qingxiushan Scenic Area in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, visitors flock to enjoy the picturesque scenery. "Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) pairs well with flowers." Pan Xu, in charge of event planning at Guangxi Wu’ai Traditional Culture Communication Co., Ltd., which operates Hanfu-related commercial activities, shares that the company's themed events such as "Flower Viewing Season" and "Flower Festival" in March have achieved remarkable results.

Since March, flower viewing tourism has been booming in many places, with integrated formats such as "flower viewing + camping," "flower viewing + market," and "flower viewing + sports" gaining popularity. Data from relevant tourism platforms shows that the search volume for "flower viewing" has increased by 330% in the past week, and the daily average booking volume for flower viewing attractions has increased by nearly 50% year-on-year. Sales of spring fashion, travel outfits, and camping equipment have surged, and orders for travel photography on popular platforms have increased.

"Flower Viewing+" Integration Adds Color to Rural Revitalization

In spring, over 700 golden trumpet trees in Yinglie Village, Wuming District, Nanning City, Guangxi Province, bloom luxuriantly, adding a touch of golden yellow to the karst landscape.

"In recent years, golden trumpet trees have become social media sensations. I deliberately wore Hanfu to take photos, and my friends liked them." Liang Fang, resident of Nanning City, shares.

Lü Meixiang, secretary of the Party branch of Yinglie Village, introduces that three years ago, the village introduced a nursery planting company to rent land from villagers for the cultivation of golden trumpet tree seedlings. Now, this forest has taken shape. "The roads to the village have been repaired, transportation is convenient, and nearby residents like to drive here to enjoy the flowers, driving the development of tourism in the village," Lü Meixiang says.

Since the beginning of spring, many places have relied on ecological advantages to create distinctive brands of "flower viewing economy" and deepen the coordinated development of agriculture, culture, and tourism, thereby assisting rural revitalization.

In Shangshi Town, Suixian County, Suizhou City, Hubei Province, there are over 60,000 acres of peach blossoms stretching for over 10 kilometers, with pink and white flowers dotting the branches, exuding a fragrant aroma. The recently held Peach Blossom Festival has boosted rural tourism.

Since the 1990s, Shangshi Town, Suixian County, has started large-scale planting of peach trees. After more than 30 years of careful cultivation, during the flower viewing season in recent years, over 300,000 tourists visit each year, driving comprehensive tourism income to over 30 million yuan.

Han Minchun, a professor at the School of Economics of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, shares that some villages have created integrated "flower viewing +" agricultural, cultural, and tourism activities, making them new scenes for cultural exchange and consumption preferences, effectively driving rapid growth in local service consumption such as catering, accommodation, tourism, and transportation.

Innovation in "Flower Styles" Stimulates Urban and Rural Cultural Tourism Consumption Vitality

In addition to flower viewing, diverse cultural and creative products have also attracted tourists' attention. Cherry blossom ice cream, cherry blossom refrigerator stickers, cherry blossom tote bags... The "Cherry Blossom Store" in Yuyuantan Park allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in spring. "The pink color scheme gives a spring vibe." After tasting the latest cherry blossom ice cream, Luo Qiuzhu, a tourist from Guangzhou City, selects cherry blossom bracelets, badges, and other items.

Guo Xin, director of the Cultural and Creative Operation Center of Yuyuantan Park, shares that since early March, the park has launched the "Falling in Love with Yuyuantan" themed series of products to meet the dual needs of young consumers for appearance and taste. The park also creates a cherry blossom-themed dining area on the west side of the Nanshan viewing area, allowing visitors to enjoy lakeside dining while admiring the flowers.

"Based on big data analysis, our flower planting and arrangement are meticulously planned." Zhang Lei, deputy general manager of Nanning Qingxiushan Scenic Area Tourism Development Co., Ltd., shares that the scenic area uses big data to analyze the photo preferences of flower viewing tourists, configures appropriate landscapes during the exhibition, and actively promotes scientific research to regulate and extend the flowering period. As of now, the scenic area has received over 3 million visitors this year.

"I heard that the Flower Expo has launched a new night tour activity this year, with 100 exciting performances. I'm looking forward to it." Ms. Jiang, a tourist from Yichang City, shares.

At the Flower Expo, a popular destination for flower viewing in the suburbs of Wuhan City, thousands of acres of flower seas are in full bloom. Nearly ten thousand pink cherry blossom trees, millions of tulips, together with daisies, narcissus, violets, and more, present visitors with a splendid and colorful scene resembling an oil painting. In March, the park launched the immersive night tour project "Flower and Moon Night," integrating natural landscapes, artistic performances, and technological means, allowing visitors to experience a cultural feast of flower viewing throughout the day.

"With a series of measures to promote consumption continuously, innovative consumption scenarios have been created, effectively enhancing consumer willingness and driving tourism economy." Han Minchun said that new consumer demands bring new challenges to the consumer market. With young people gradually becoming the main consumers, cultural tourism consumption presents characteristics such as diversity, multilevel, and multi-channel. We should actively seize new opportunities and increase supporting services for personalized, diversified, and high-quality upgrades.