The east wind thaws, urging thousands of delicate faces to bloom with dew. For many people, it will be incomplete without arranging a trip to admire the blooming flowers in spring. In the fragrant March, the flowers of Dongguan city have long been vying to bloom on the branches, like waves surging, forming colorful clusters, extremely beautiful. Half of the city is covered with the colors of spring, as flowers bloom everywhere you go, presenting a scene of vibrant beauty.
Golden Trumpet, Kapok, Galsang Flower, Sunflower, Tulip... Various flowers bloom in parks, lakesides, bridges, neighborhoods, main roads, commercial areas, and other places in Dongguan, presenting a scene of blooming flowers everywhere in life. The colorful and romantic sea of flowers complements the high-quality urban life perfectly. The cultural and tourism departments in Dongguan have also launched flower-viewing routes and themed activities that cover “eating, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment,” which are thoughtful and considerate, attracting many people to come and enjoy the flowers, thus boosting the “flower-viewing economy.”
Casually acquainted with the face of spring breeze, myriad colors bloom in Dongguan. This spring, come to Dongguan to experience the “vogue” of flower viewing!
With flowers as a sign, every corner of Dongguan is filled with the excitement of spring
The bustling springtime scene with flowers blooming on branches is an iconic signal of spring. The flowers in Dongguan have already started to bloom around the time of the Spring Festival. At the beginning of February, a dazzling array of flowers blooms everywhere in Dongguan, bringing the first breath of spring. Not only are there large fields of flower seas, but also while driving on main roads, opening the windows nearby allows you to feel the “floral” Dongguan anytime, anywhere.
In the flower sea of Xidi Road, Wanjiang Subdistrict, a large expanse of sunflowers returns for a limited time in February, blooming vigorously in the sunshine. If you look around, you will encounter dazzling and eye-catching small ornamental sunflowers. The brilliant flowers complement the lush green leaves, creating a golden spectacle as far as the eye can see. It is said that the flower sea of Xidi Road is the location of the “Ancient Ferry Returning Sail,” one of the eight scenic spots of Wanjiang. In recent years, Wanjiang Subdistrict has planned and constructed parking areas, flower sea areas, and ecological tourism areas here. In the flower sea area, installations resembling wind sails have been designed to recreate the old scene of “Returning Sail”.
On Peach Blossom Island of Shuilian Mountain Forest Park in Nancheng Subdistrict, ten acres of peach blossoms bloom stunningly, composing a spring poem reminiscent of “The rosy cheeks were ablaze with peach flowers.” The pink and white interspersed peach blossoms adorn the branches, covering the entire hillside. The mountains appear as if draped in a pink veil, incredibly beautiful. Walking through the peach forest feels like wandering in a fairyland.
Entering the Shuanggang Urban Countryside in Houjie Town, one can see nearly 300 acres of rapeseed flowers blooming, competing to display a golden color that outshines myriad other hues. Standing in the field, looking around, you will find yourself surrounded by a huge golden carpet, complemented by the blue sky and white clouds, creating a captivating spring oil painting. At Shangyuan Rice Field Park in Chashan Town, more than 200 acres of romantic flower sea bloom. Colorful butterflies flutter and bees dance in the fields. Galsang flowers and rapeseed flowers grow vigorously. With a gentle breeze, flower branches sway in the wind. From a high vantage point, it looks like a color palette overturned by God. The stunning flower sea has attracted many tourists from surrounding cities in the Greater Bay Area.
In the colorful flower fields of Qiaotou Lotus Cultural and Tourism Industrial Park, a spring painting is created with colorful flowers as pigments. Flowers such as marigolds, rapeseed flowers, marigolds, large roses, Galsang flowers, Icelandic poppies, azaleas, and other flowers bloom in competition, allowing one to wander in the sea of flowers, as if stepping into a dreamlike fairy tale world. In the park, there are a total of 18 acres with over 100,000 marigold plants. The colorful flowers resemble colorful carpets, complementing the landscape features such as windmills and flower arches, creating a delightful scene.
In addition, there are brilliant tulips blooming in the Dongguan Central Park. Each tulip, in its most beautiful appearance, attracts bees and butterflies to gather nectar busily. Swaying in the wind amidst the verdant mountains, they appear even more graceful and charming. In the Sunflower Garden of Cuntou Village, Hengli Town, with an area approximately 130 acres, one can see rows of golden sunflowers swaying gracefully in the spring breeze, emitting waves of floral fragrance. In the Xiegang Scenic Area of Yinpingshan Forest Park, 3000 acres of wild red azaleas blooming in succession. On the mountain hiking trails, one can see clusters of red azaleas blooming on the roadside, covering the trees and filling the slopes with red walls. Under the blue sky and white clouds, it is full of vitality. Moreover, various flower seas such as the “Shangdong Flower Sea” in Shangdong Village, Qishi Town, and the maple forest by the waterside in Dalingya Village, Daojiao Town, are blooming like a dream.
The annual “Admiring the Red and Welcoming Spring” scenery presents itself as scheduled, providing photographers with a great destination for spring photography.
Attending romantic floral events during the festival with flowers serving as a medium
In the beautiful spring, there is an appointment among the flowers. During the recent International Women’s Day, various places in Dongguan staged a festival of admiring flowers, showcasing the beauty of both women and flowers. In the picturesque Qingxi Town, taking advantage of International Women’s Day, the 13th “Flower Culture Festival” was held with the theme of “Flower Trendy Tour: Spring Tour to Appreciate Flowers,” providing an opportunity to admire flowers.
From March 8th to March 31st, a series of activities such as “Flower Appreciation + Outdoor Sports,” “Flower Appreciation + National Trend Culture,” and “Flower Appreciation + Consumption Promotion” will be held continuously. These include events like “Flower Appreciation Music Carnival” and “The Most Beautiful March in the World” spring study tours. Leveraging the platform of the Flower Culture Festival and resources such as the Hequehua flower and hiking flower viewing routes, efforts will be made to further stimulate consumption growth in catering, accommodation, trade, and scenic spots. The aim is to achieve a transition from flower appreciation activities to flower culture and flower economy.
Using flowers as a medium to celebrate the festival romantically has always been a unique scenery line in Dongguan’s spring. There were countless and diverse flower appreciation activities radiating from the city center to the towns and subdistricts during this year’s Spring Festival holiday.
“Going to Dongguan” to see flower beds during the Chinese New Year holiday has become a childhood memory for many people. During this year’s Spring Festival, the Spring Festival three-dimensional flower bed in the North Square of the Center Plaza of Dongguan City was bustling. At the center of the flower bed was a large-scale dragon-shaped art lighting decoration called “Radiant Dragon Soars,” covering an area of approximately 1800 square meters. More than 60 varieties of seasonal flowers were selected, totaling over 50,000 pots, creating five major Spring Festival themed attractions. Until now, the flowers are still in full bloom, competing in colors and beauty. Flowers such as azaleas, camellias, roses, tulips, cornflowers, marigolds, hydrangeas, and many others compete in spring, making Dongguan's spring days even more beautiful.
In addition, the 2024 Dongguan Luoyang Peony Cultural Festival and the Third Peony Flower Viewing Season, which reached its climax during the Lantern Festival, were held. The main venue of the event was set at Xiangyu Baihua Garden, with branch venues located in the Lotus Cultural and Tourism Industrial Park in Qiaotou Town, Dongguan City. The exhibition area covered over 3000 square meters. The event, centered around peony culture, featured five themed interactive activities: Flower Trendy Tour, New Year Night Tour, National Trend Night Market, Experience Skills, and Cultural and Creative Exhibition and Sales. In addition, the Sakura Festival held at Xiangyu Baihua Garden also attracts attention. It features various flowers such as cherry blossoms, peonies, violets, snapdragons, foxgloves, chrysanthemums, and other popular photo spots.
At the “Sail Away with Blooming Flowers in the Prosperous Era” Charming Shijie New Year Flower Festival, the rapeseed flower fields at Qihang Plaza in Shijie Town are in full bloom, becoming a major hotspot for outings and a highlight of the scenery during the New Year, creating a joyful, harmonious, and beautiful New Year atmosphere. The rapeseed flower viewing tour in Liaobu Town allows people to experience the beauty of spring in the rapeseed flower sea among the rice fields. The Orchid Festival held at the Shuncheng Agricultural Science and Technology Ecological Park in Dongguan City provides visitors with professional explanations, allowing them to appreciate various orchid varieties and learn about orchid knowledge and culture. There is also the flower viewing activity at Yueming Lake in Dongkeng Town, providing a free destination for the public to enjoy viewing vast flower seas, leisurely strolls, and photo opportunities. “Flower”-themed New Year invites people to come to Dongguan and experience the “flower”-themed era.
Connecting the unique cultural and tourism features of the city with flowers as a thread
The full bloom has become a major cultural and tourism characteristic resource of Dongguan. During the peak flowering season, many tourists are attracted here to visit and take photos, driving the “flower appreciation economy”.
At the beginning of this year, the Dongguan cultural and tourism department launched four spring flower viewing routes, namely “Listen! The Sound of Flowers Blooming”, “Play! Experience New Styles of Flower Viewing”, “See! Dongguan Has Surprises for You”, and “Walk! Embark on a Spring Journey in Dongguan”. The routes carefully select 24 flower viewing spots and ecotourism spots in Dongguan, with the theme of “Flower-Young Dongguan, Prosperous Era”, connecting A-grade tourist attractions and characteristic accommodation spots. They provide recommendations for authentic local cuisine and shopping, promoting the integration of flower viewing tours with historical and cultural experiences, rural experiences, parent-child study tours, intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship, and light sports. These routes lead tourists to explore the major flower viewing spots in Dongguan, taste authentic local cuisine, and experience the vitality of Dongguan's spring days.
In addition, Dongguan continues to promote the enrichment of the connotation and extension of flower viewing tour products through format integration. Using flowers as a medium, it initiates a “Flower Viewing +” in-depth experience mode, organizing events such as ecological camping festivals to promote the development of the flower appreciation economy and showcase its cultural and tourism advantages.
In March, the popular yellow trumpet trees along the banks of Songshan Lake in Dongguan once again entered the peak flowering season. The golden flowers formed a sea of blossoms, attracting countless tourists to come and admire them. On March 1st, amidst this picturesque scenery, the first camping festival of 2024, “Trendy Dongguan · Ecological Camping Festival - Songshan Lake Special Edition,” and the second annual Flower Appreciation Month event “Enjoying Song Lake · People are Prouder Than Flowers” opened at Songshan Lake. The event lasted for two days, integrating a variety of elements including camping markets, colorful performances, creative check-ins, interactive activities, and welfare discounts. It brought a unique sense of romance and surprise to citizens and tourists, fully showcasing the quality cultural charm of Songshan Lake and injecting new vitality into the cultural and tourism industry of Songshan Lake.
Ms. Mai from Hong Kong excitedly told reporters, “I have always had a special love for flowers, and the vast expanse of blooming yellow trumpet trees by Songshan Lake is simply mesmerizing! I specially joined a self-driving tour and rushed from Hong Kong to experience this feast. It is really a rewarding experience. Here, not only do we have enchanting natural scenery, but also a variety of colorful camping festival activities, allowing me to deeply appreciate the unique charm and boundless vitality of Songshan Lake.” According to preliminary statistics, the number of visitors to Songshan Lake during the event period has significantly increased compared to the same period in previous years. Many out-of-town visitors, attracted by the event information they learned through social media, were among them.
Finally, here’s a flower viewing announcement: “You don’t need to go to Wuhan, you can also enjoy cherry blossoms in Dongguan!” During the peak flowering season, many people are eager to embark on a cherry blossom journey and enjoy the romantic atmosphere of spring. Browsing through platforms like Xiaohongshu and WeChat Moments, you can find that the cherry blossoms in Haizai Lake Park in Shipai Town have already bloomed recently, but it is not yet the best time for viewing. According to park staff, “The cherry blossoms will be at their most brilliant by mid-March, attracting many visitors every year.” It is understood that Haizai Lake Park is renowned as the “Colorful Forest.” Covering an area of approximately 350 acres, a batch of cherry blossom trees was planted in early 2014. There are two varieties, Chinese Red and Guangzhou Red, totaling 530 trees. Every spring, the cherry blossom avenue becomes a popular scenic spot at Haizai Lake.
The flowers have their time to bloom. This spring, set off immediately, seize the moment before the flowers fade, seize the time before spring wanes, and come to Dongguan to fulfill the romantic appointment with blooming flowers.
