Beijing launches 'flower appreciation areas' for visitors

BEIJING -- Spring is in the air and Beijing authorities have launched 172 "flower appreciation areas" for visitors.

Scattered around the city's districts, the flowers cover a total area of more than 4.5 million square meters, according to the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau.

In the Beijing Botanical Garden, for instance, more than 30 types of plum trees are in bloom, and other types of flowers will blossom in April.

Parks in Beijing will host a variety of cultural events featuring flowers and intangible cultural heritage.

Beijing currently has more than 1,000 parks, 88 percent of which are open to the public free of charge.