Immerse yourself in a sea of flowers in Qingdao

Tourists stroll through cherry trees in blossom along the Yinghua road in Qingdao.

When spring comes, Qingdao is a sea of flowers. Cherry trees are one of the most densely planted treesin Qingdao, where they are second only to Japan in the world. Every April, the cherry trees in Zhongshan Park burst into bloom overnight, bringing a strong sense of spring to Qingdao natives. Yinghua (meaning cherry flowers in English) Road that runs through Zhongshan Park is the main road of the park, with thousands of cherry trees at both sides of the road that form a beautiful corridor of flowers. Seen from afar, the park is like an opulent jade. In the 20 days around each May Day, there is a grand annual cherry flower festival that attracts the Qingdao locals.

Cherry trees are in full blossom on Nanhai road, in Qingdao. [Photo/Laozhou]

Each spring, cherry trees of more than 10 species compete to blossom along with peach trees, peonies and cuckoos in Zhongshan Park, attracting a lot of Chinese and foreign visitors. Zhongshan Park receives more than 1 million Chinese and foreign visitors each year, or more than 200,000 visitors a day. The tens of thousands of cherry trees were transplanted from Japan and have been growing in Zhongshan Park for over 90 years. Zhongshan Park was built at the original site of Huiqian village, a village with more than 360 households—mostly living on fishing. During Germany's colonization of the area in 1898, the village and the farmhouses were demolished and built into an experimental planting area where about a million square meters of trees, 40,000 square meters of fruit trees, more than 170 species of flowers and trees, and over 20,000 cherry trees were planted. After a century of maintenance, Zhongshan Park is even more beautiful today, with flowers in different colors in full blossom, filled with people who come especially to enjoy them.

Flowering peach trees and lilac trees are in full blossom along the Shaoguan road in Qingdao.

I suggest that you go to the Eight Great Passes where spring flowers are in full bloom, too. The Eight Great Passes feature a combination of parks and yards. On either side of the ten roads, there are verdant trees and perennially blooming flowers. Buildings at the Eight Great Passes integrate the architectural styles of more than 20 countries like Russia, the U.K., France, Germany, America, Japan and Denmark, showing off a range of different types of architecture.

Purple magnolia flower are in full blossom in the Botanic Garden in Qingdao.

In recent years, Qingdao has paid more attention to urban forestation and beautification by planting ornamental flowers and trees on either side of its main streets and roads. From the east to the west along the coast, every street is clustered around by flowers—cherry trees, flowering peaches, Chinese flowering crab apple trees, Forsythia trees, ginkgo trees, crape myrtle trees, red and white magnolias trees… Walking along the streets of Qingdao is like walking in a sea of flowers.

A peach tree is in full blossom in the Botanic Garden in Qingdao.

When spring comes, you are very welcome to Qingdao. I am sure you will linger in the sea of flowers, and be as amazed by the spring breeze as I am.