Travel tips

The best time to enjoy tree peonies (mudan) in Heze, Shandong province, is April, and herbaceous peonies (shaoyao) blossom throughout May.

Heze is directly accessible by high-speed train from Beijing and from Jinan, the provincial capital. When you arrive, the best spots to see the flowers are the Caozhou Peony Garden, Caozhou Baihua Garden and Gujin Garden.

Besides enjoying the flowers, visitors can also try Shanxian mutton soup, a specialty food from Shanxian county in Heze, as well as peony-flower pastries.