It's spring again and that means blossom time. Chinese people love spring blooms and travel agents all over the country are gearing up to organize special trips and excursions to view them.
There are hundreds of trips on offer and travel agents hope that, with traveling restrictions eased, Taiwan will be a popular destination for this year's blossom bugs. The island's Ali Mountain has gorgeous peach blossoms, camellia and hydrangea. Travel agents say the number of tourists traveling to Taiwan is doubling every month.
If you are starting from Shanghai, nearby Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces offer a feast of plum blossoms, azaleas, peach blossoms, tulips and lavender. Further away to the west, Yunnan Province, China's stunningly beautiful melting pot of national minorities, also has wonderful, exotic blooms on offer.
Six special tours from Shanghai, including the Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival in Nanhui and the Cole Flower Festival in Fengxian will be launched at the end of March. Traditional performances and country cooking are included in the ticket prices that range from US$8 to US$15.
For those in the capital, here's how to experience the best blossoms in Beijing:
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Flowers
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Best time
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Best place
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Magnolia
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Apr. 1-15
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Summer Place; Dajue Temple
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Apricot blossom
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Apr. 5-15
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Great Wall at Badaling; Miaofeng Mountain; Phoenix Mountain
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Pear Blossom
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Apr. 10-25
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Daxing Pear Flower Garden; Xiangshui Lake, Huairou
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Peach blossom
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Apr. 15-30
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Pinggu Arcadia; Dahua Mountain, Pinggu
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Wisteria
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May 1-15
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Hongluo Temple, Huairou; Zhongshan Park at downtown Beijing
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Roses
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May 10-30
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Rose Valley at Miaofeng Mountain
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Cloves
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Jun. 1-15
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Jietai Temple; Badaling National Forest Park; Beijing Botanical Gardens
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Tips:
1. Avoid these trips if you are allergic to pollen;
2. Remember many flowers have thorns, so don't touch!
3. Insects love flowers too, so to avoid getting stung or bitten take some essential balms, cooling ointments and antitoxins with you;
4. Finally, don't forget your camera so you can enjoy the blooms at home till next year!
