In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, over 100 key parks in Beijing will launch a series of National Day activities. These include floral arrangements, cultural events, Red Footprint tours, and thematic exhibitions.
Ma Hong, deputy head of the city's National Day Park Working Group, stated that the floral displays are a unique highlight of Beijing’s National Day celebrations. In over 100 parks, including the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Earth, Beihai Park, Fragrant Hills Park, Longtan Park, the World Horticultural Expo Park, and the Green Heart Forest Park in the sub-center, 1,055 floral arrangements have been created, covering an area of 156,000 square meters and using more than 6.42 million pots of flowers. The decorations emphasize the festive atmosphere of 'One Park, One Feature; Hundreds of Parks, Thousands of Landscapes,” creating a visual feast of garden scenery and a joyful holiday atmosphere.
During the National Day holiday, major parks will also offer five categories of 220 activities: cultural experiences, performances, tours, science popularization, and leisure. Among these, 28 are cultural experiences, 34 are performances, 71 are tours, 75 are science activities, and 12 are leisure events, enriching visitors’ park experiences.
The Municipal Bureau of Landscaping and Forestry has also introduced nine Red Footprint tour routes, covering 13 districts and 39 historical sites of significance, such as the Laijin Yuxuan Pavilion in Zhongshan Park, the Chinese Youth Hero Memorial in Taoranting Park, and more distant sites like the memorial to the December 9th Movement at the National Botanical Garden and the Unknown Heroes Square at Xiangshan National Forest Park. Detailed maps will help visitors navigate these sites with information on location, tickets, duration, and transport.
In addition, 75 themed exhibitions will be held in over 100 parks. The China Garden Museum will present 'Green Beijing, Beautiful Together: 75 Years of Capital Landscaping Achievements,” displaying more than 200 items including historical archives, plant specimens, and old photos. Other parks will hold unique exhibitions, such as the 'Leader's Charisma in the Red Waves” in Xiangshan Park and the 'Artistic Bonsai Exhibition” in the Summer Palace.
In the Temple of Heaven Park, vibrant floral arrangements celebrate the festive mood, with the 'Round and Auspicious' themed floral display welcoming National Day at the park's north gate.
The Summer Palace has set up the 'Abundant Harvest' floral display.
Floral displays in city parks make a grand appearance
According to the Beijing Park Management Center, during the 2024 National Day holiday, 15 three-dimensional floral displays, 47 garden landscape arrangements, and 74 ground-level flower beds will be placed in city parks such as the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Beihai Park, Fragrant Hills, and the China Garden Museum. These displays cover nearly 100,000 square meters, with 1.85 million special flower varieties, including Osmanthus, roses, salvias, begonias, and bougainvillea, brightening the golden October and sending best wishes to the motherland in celebration of National Day.
Meanwhile, during the National Day holiday, the Summer Palace will hold an Osmanthus culture exhibition, and Beihai Park will host the '45th Beijing Chrysanthemum Exhibition and the 12th Beijing-Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Culture Festival,' offering visitors a fragrant autumn experience. Zhongshan Park will also showcase spring flowers like plum blossoms, crabapples, lilacs, and magnolias to highlight traditional park techniques for controlling bloom seasons.
The Summer Palace’s 'Abundant Harvest' and 'Unity of the People' floral displays blend history and art perfectly. 'Abundant Harvest' draws inspiration from the Summer Palace’s imperial dragon palace lantern, featuring ancient hills, trees, and architecture subtly reflected through the lantern's design, creating a tranquil, timeless scene. 'Unity of the People' incorporates elements from Chinese cursive characters and folk dance, symbolizing the people's unity in moving forward on a new journey. These two displays use special planting techniques, with plants like red grass, sedum, and begonias, combined with ancient Osmanthus trees meticulously cared for by generations of gardeners at the Summer Palace, and accompanied by a mix of peonies and Osmanthus.
The China Garden Museum has created a 'Home & Garden' floral display, themed 'Beautiful China, Ideal Homeland.' This six-meter-high installation looks like a three-dimensional landscape painting, featuring undulating mountains, cascading waterfalls, and diverse plants that evoke a natural, picturesque scene. A garden courtyard is nestled at the foot of the mountains, with winding paths connecting visitors to the natural scenery. This display can be admired from all sides, day or night.
The National Botanical Garden (North Garden) features the 'Coexistence of All Life' floral display. With a multicolored earth as its backdrop, it vividly portrays marine and lake life through a creative mix of plants and varying heights. The use of laser-cut vines adds diversity to the landscape, enriching the visual experience while serving as a framing element. The foreground features a child holding a watering can, constructed using a combination of seedlings and three-dimensional materials. Straw rabbits and squirrels, and a reed-woven Chinese goral, all contribute to a lively and realistic scene.
