Shanghai's Top Spring Blossom Destinations
No need to book a ticket to Amsterdam or painstakingly chase after the elusive sakura season in Japan – these scenic areas in Shanghai deliver the perfect amount of oomph on their own.
During the plum blossoms season, Haiwan National Forest Park turns into a veritable plum blossom heaven. Try some plum pudding, take a stroll under the plum blossom trees, enjoy the view of the petal-strewn lake from the bridge, maybe even bring home a pot to enjoy your very own private blossoms.
Listed among China's ten prettiest rapeseed fields, Zhuanghangzhen morphs into a beautiful golden sea during the months of March and April. Take note though, rape pollen contains allergens, and although has not been proven to cause hay fever, have been known to trigger asthma in agricultural workers.
This fifty thousand-strong peach blossoms garden is a sight to behold when the trees descend full-force into flowering season. Pick a good day to visit and you'll be blown away by the contrast of pink flowers and blue skies.
When: End of March - April
Shanghai Flower Port hosts the annual tulip viewing festival from around the end of March until April, displaying up to 500 different species and a whopping 3.2 million buds consisting of tulips, hyacinths, anemones, among others. Designed by a Holland designer, it's like housing a little piece of Holland right here in Shanghai.
When: Mid - End of April
Touted as Shanghai's very own Little Provence, the Ancol Dreamland Herb Farm has up to 200 different species of herbs, from thyme and sage, to rosemary and English mint. During spring, the area transforms into a sea of colors and fragrance, well worth planning a day trip out there.
When: Mid - End of April
The wisteria garden in Jiading District is home to 28 different species, and is managed by a Japanese landscape gardener, so expect the quintessentially Japanese attention to care and detail. During spring, the area becomes a dreamy, romantic getaway filled with all the shades of purple one can imagine.
When: April - May
There's a dedicated zone in the Shanghai Botanical Garden just for peonies – the Peony Garden, which stretches out about 3.24 hectares in size. Up to 10 000 peony plants can be found here, including cultivators from China, Japan, France and America, and when they come into season, the garden explodes into a veritable rainbow.
When: April
The Pudong Gaoqiao Riverside Forest Park has been hosting the annual Rhododendron Flower Festival since 2009. More than 5000 strains of rhododendron begin flowering in late spring right up till early summer, and along with the park's unique landscape and waterfalls, makes for a particularly pretty and atmospheric outing.
When: April - May
What is spring without roses, and what is a Chinese spring without the China Rose? Listed as one of the ten most representative flowers in China, this species is native to the Guizhou, Hubei and Sichuan provinces. This 6000 sqm China Rose Island is one of Chenshan Botanical Garden's biggest tourist draw. Every year when the weather turns for the warmer, more than 500 varieties of the China Rose come into season in a grand show of colors and fragrance.