Spring is here, China's tourism economy in full bloom

Strolling in a garden, Zhou Danni and her family marveled at the splendid cherry blossoms. As a gentle breeze snaked its way through the trees, petals rained down upon them, and tourists reached for their cameras to capture the scene.

After an ice-and-snow frenzy kept revelers warm throughout the Spring Festival, China has transformed into a land of flowers in the spring. Tens of thousands of people like Zhou came out to enjoy the blossoms across the country.

The 29-year-old woman came especially from southwest China's Sichuan Province to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, which is renowned for its cherry blossoms. She joined a long queue just after 8 am to enter the East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden, where more than 10,000 cherry trees of over 60 species greet visitors with their fragrance and flowers in full bloom.

"I did my research before coming here," she said. "With the new green leaves on some of the trees juxtaposed against the pink and white flowers on others, it's like walking into one of Monet's paintings."

Since March, blossom-themed tourism has dominated online travel platforms, with cities publishing "blossom maps" to guide visitors and boost the local economies.

Statistics released by Chinese travel services platform Qunar showed that between February and March, searches for "flower viewing" more than tripled compared with 2024.

According to local governments, 11 flower-viewing attractions in Hubei have received more than 5.21 million visits since March, up 22.69 percent from last year. During the three-day Qingming Festival between April 4 and 6, the East Lake scenic site received nearly 1.17 million visits, up 25.58 percent from 2024.

Blooming economy

China has had the tradition of flower viewing since ancient times. It is believed that people from as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907) had already formed the habit of going to the city outskirts with friends and family to appreciate the flowers and worship the floral fairies. Many poets have left masterpieces eulogizing spring flowers.

The peony garden in the 1,400-year-old ancient city of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province is packed with visitors, some of whom are dressed in traditional attire, a scene reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty.

The Sui and Tang Dynasties City Ruins Botanical Garden is the venue of the 42nd Peony Festival, where more than 300,000 peonies of over 1,400 varieties greet visitors.

"Luoyang, with its peony cultivation history dating back centuries, is famed for the flower. I am here especially to experience the culture," said Qiu Han from east China's Fujian Province, who wore a peony-shaped hairpin and the traditional dress known as Hanfu.

Hanfu rental and photography is also in hot demand.

In Wuhan, within just a 400-meter stretch of road between the entrance of the East Lake garden and the closest bus stop, there were six booths offering such services. One booth in particular stood out, as it was converted from an old bus and was run by a recent arrival.

Sun Ziqing, who was doing a client's makeup, told Xinhua that she traveled to Wuhan from the southwestern Yunnan Province, about 1,200 km away, to work for a month. During this period, Sun has received nearly 300 customers and made a net profit of more than 30,000 yuan (about 4,109 US dollars).

The big studios, like the one owned by Si Guanzhi, were even busier. "During the weekends we can earn 5,000 to 6,000 yuan a day," said Si.

Inspired by the various flowers, designers have devised numerous creative products.

In the Nanbeiliji pastry shop in Luoyang, cakes in the shape of peonies and local attractions with different flavors line the shelves. Tourists can also find exquisite porcelain peony candleholders and cups.

"We have developed more than 200 products in 10 categories with the theme of peonies, and the sales from a single store could top 20 million yuan last year. Some of our products were even sold to Canada," said Li Zhaolin, a local woman who is the founder of the store. She noted that in the future, they would develop more products to sell in the international market, so that more people will fall in love with the peonies of Luoyang.

Behind flower economy

The flower economy has also boosted the development of China's countryside.

Puning Village in Hangzhou City, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, is hosting its 21st peony fair, where a 600-year-old peony, planted by Yu Qian, a heroic official of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), stands at the center of a 25,000-square-meter garden.

In Xianju County of Taizhou City, close to 30,000 mu (about 2,000 hectares) of canola flowers are in full bloom, where inflatable dolls of characters from the animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" await tourists.

"More than 30,000 visitors came in just one weekend, and local specialties from villagers sell well," said Zhang Song, Party secretary of the Shuangmiao Township of Xianju. He disclosed that last year's canola festival in the county attracted nearly 200,000 visitors and raked in more than 14 million yuan in tourism revenue. Villagers nearby earned more than 700,000 yuan in total.

When asked why people love spending the day admiring flowers, a female tourist surnamed Xie said: "It is relaxing both physically and mentally, especially after a week of work or study."

"Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," said Li Qian, a professor with the International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University. "The flower-viewing economy has proved this philosophy. In recent years, China's ecological environment has continued to improve, while scientific and technological innovation has promoted the upgrading of industries. The plant diversity around the country has been significantly improved."

She added that at the same time, Chinese people, as their livelihoods have improved, have developed greater spiritual demands. "Flowers, with their aesthetic beauty and cultural meaning, are becoming more important in their daily life," Li said. "With the popularity of social media platforms, more and more people are choosing to capture and record the special moments."