Flower festival offers immersive experience

The Huazhao Festival, or flower festival, got underway at Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai on Friday, offering visitors immersive experience in traditional Chinese culture.

With a history of over 2,000 years, the festival is held to celebrate the flower goddess' birthday. According to ancient beliefs, the flower goddess controlled the reproduction of mankind and it later became a custom to celebrate the birthday of the flower goddess for prosperity.

Running until April 27, the festival features colorful installations themed on diverse kinds of flowers and flower fairies.

A slew of activities will also take place during the festival to immerse visitors in the traditional Chinese culture vibe, including light shows, cultural performances, parades, markets, blessings and various interactive events.

Foreigners interested in Chinese traditional culture and special guests in elegant hanfu, the traditional attire of China, are invited to celebrate the festival and experience traditional customs as well as intangible cultural heritage events, such as fan painting and Chinese flower arrangement.