Spring is here – Introducing the Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival
China celebrates a lot of events and the Chinese calendar is full of festivals, celebrations and national holidays. From the Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival to the Harbin Ice Festival and the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, each and every event provides the perfect excuse for a trip to this exciting and immense country. An event that should be a part of everyone’s Trans-Siberian experience is the Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival.
An amazing and captivating city all year round, Shanghai truly comes to life with the bloom of these magnificent flowers. Cherry blossoms may be synonymous with Japan – the Japan Cherry Blossom Forecast is among the most visited portal in the months and weeks leading up to spring – but springtime Shanghai offers its own impressive sea of cherry trees, each awash with perfect pink blooms. So what do you need to know about visiting Shanghai for its annual Cherry Blossom Festival?
When is the Cherry Blossom Festival in Shanghai?
For those wondering when to visit China, the Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival offers an ideal time to experience not just the blooms of this great city but also surrounding destinations. Cherry trees tend to flower in China from late March to late April, offering a one-month time frame for locals and visitors to enjoy the delicate blossoms. This year’s bloom is expected in Shanghai from 15th March to 15th April 2018. Before you book your China trip be sure to check the latest forecast.
What can I expect?
During the Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival, you can expect thousands of trees of varying species coming into bloom across the city.
There are 28 species of cherry blossom to enjoy in the city of Shanghai. Many of these have varying bloom times, meaning even if you arrive later in the festival, you’re sure to see something beautiful. It’s not just cherry blossoms that will be blooming during the festival. Plum and peach blossoms may look similar but provide subtle differences, coming together to create an equally mesmerising sight.
Where’s the best place to see blossoms?
Gucan Forest Park is the go-to place for cherry blossom viewing. Home to 12,000 cherry trees in total, visitors will delight at the beauty on offer and the mixture of pink, white, red and light green flowers. Lexi and Steve from They Get Around share their experience of Gucan Park during cherry blossom season:
“One of the things which make Gucan Park a little more unique from the other locations is that it offers BBQ areas. Relaxing with friends or with that someone special and eating food surrounded by beautiful cherry blossoms is the ideal situation for some, and is very romantic. The BBQ costs around 90 RMB for six people, while it’s 180 RMB for 15 people. When hiring the BBQ area the price does include charcoal. You can bring your own food along, though if you don’t want the hassle of carrying food, it can be bought for 12 – 15 RMB for meat and fish for two skewers; and it’s 3 – 6 RMB for vegetable skewers. If the BBQ areas don’t tickle your fancy, as well as the cherry blossoms, there are canals which stretch across the park, walkways, a relaxing lake, and plenty of trees to wander through and explore. A great way to spend the day.”
Shanghai Botanical Gardens, Tongji University and Shanghai Haiwan National Park all offer excellent vantage points for prime cherry blossom viewing. Shanghai Haiwan National Park in particular has a number of cherry blossom themed events and activities in which to indulge.
