Admiring spring blossoms in Nanjing

The plum blossom is the city flower of Nanjing. In February and March of each year, spring will first fall on the plum branches, where the light fragrance of the plum blossoms in different colors, red, pink, green, white, lingers in the air, which heralds the spring in Nanjing.

Cherry blossoms, the gentlest flowers in spring, are, as expectantly in bloom in March, which turn Nanjing into a romantic city in pink. Flowering side by side with the cherry blossoms in the spring breeze, the lively and beautiful peach blossoms, in red or pink, are crowding in the peach branches.

The most brilliant flowers in spring are rape flowers, large stretches of golden, covering the fields of Nanjing in March and April.

Crabapple blossoms are fragrance-free, but they are uniquely graceful in spring. The most common seen crabapples are Sweeping Crabapples with the flower filament drooping like a slim graceful lady, and the Xifu crabapples with blooming flowers like smiling faces. Each has its own beauty.

Besides, February orchids, magnolia flowers, tulips, wisteria flowers, hydrangeas, azaleas are all in bloom. Nanjing in spring is such a beautiful world of flowers! Let's go to appreciate the lovely flowers in spring!

Best Places to See Plum Blossoms

Plum Blossom Hill in the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area

Located in the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area, Plum Blossom Hill is well-known as "the Top 1 Plum Blossom Hill in the world" and is the main venue of the "Nanjing International Plum Blossom Festival" (held every year from February to March). The plum trees have been planted in Nanjing starting from the Six Dynasties more than 1500 years ago. With a planting area of more than 1,533 mu (approximately 102.2 hectares), today's Plum Blossom Hill has more than 35,000 plum trees in more than 360 varieties and has more than 6,000 potted plums.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: Ming Tomb Scenic Area, Zhongshan Mountain National Park, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Ticket: 70 CNY

Opening hours:

• 06:30-18:00, Monday-Sunday (November-February)
• 06:30-18:00, Monday-Sunday (March – October)

Getting there by public transport:

1. Metro Line 2/Exit 1 at Muxuyuan Station
2. Nanjing City Tour Bus Line1, 2, or 3/ Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty Station (Plumb Blossom Valley Parking Lot)
3. Bus No. 20, 315/Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Station

Tel. No.:

1. Hotline: +86 25 84431174
2. Ticket: +86 25 84437786
3. Helpline: +86 25 84442880

Fujiabian Agricultural Science and Technology Park in Lishui District

Fujiabian Agricultural Science and Technology Park is the largest park of its kind in Jiangsu Province. Every year from the end of February to the beginning of March, the "Nanjing Lishui International Plum Blossom Festival" is held here. Night viewing of the plum blossoms enjoys its reputation here. Under the colorful dazzling light, thousands of plum blossoms show a distinctive fancy beauty different from that in the daytime.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: Fujiabian Village, Honglan County, Lishui District, Nanjing

Ticket: Free

Open hours: Full day, Monday – Sunday

Getting there by public transport:

Take the shuttle bus to Lishui at Nanjing South Railway Station, then transfer to Bus No. 23 in Lishui and get off at the Fujiabian Agricultural Science and Technology Park Station

Self-drive itineraries:

1. Downtown Nanjing – Ningxuan Highway (S55) – Exit of Ningxuan Highway – Provincial Road No. 123 – Provincial Road No. 341 – County Road No. 105 – Fujiabian Agricultural Science and Technology Park
2. Downtown Lishui – Wufu Line – Wuxiang Mountain - Fujiabian Agricultural Science and Technology Park

Plum Blossom Mound (Meigang) in Rain Flower Terrace Scenic Area

Plum Blossom Mound (Meigang) is in the northeast of the Rain Flower Terrace Scenic Area. Owning to its location, which is not on the main tourist route, there are fewer tourists than in other scenic spots in Nanjing, which usually are crowed with people from all directions appreciating plum blossoms. At Plum Blossom Mound, you may listen to the birds chirping and quietly appreciate the millions of light pink plum blossoms, whose beauty is complemented by the quiet and refined courtyards, small quaint pavilion, and long winding corridors.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address:

Rain Flower Terrace Scenic Area, Yuhua District, Nanjing (After entering the north gate, walk along the left side for about 30 meters and you will see a stone archway craved with “Erquan Houshan Scenic Spot” (“二泉后山景区” in Chinese). Continue walking along the patch till you reach the Plum Blossom Mound.

Ticket: Free

Open hours: 09:00-17:00, Monday – Sunday

Getting there by public transport:

1. Multiple buses may take you there. Get off at North Gate of Rain Flower Terrace Station/Rain Flower Terrace Station
2. Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Zhonghua Gate, then walk along Yuhua West Road and then Yuhua East Road for about 800 meters.

Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms

Jiming Temple Road

During the cherry blossom season between March and April, along the winding road between Jiming Temple and Jiefangmen Taicheng in Nanjing, the light pink flowers of the cherry blossom trees and the bright yellow walls of the 1700-year-old Jiming Temple set off each other beautifully, which makes part of a lively spring. There is a cherry tree (Note that it's a Chinese cherry tree, not a cherry blossom tree!) by the Jiming Temple Road, which is called "message tree" by the local people, for as long as the "message tree" blooms, Jiming Temple Road, within a month, will become “a sea of cherry blossoms".

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: No. 1, Jingming Temple Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Ticket: Free

Open hours: Full day, Monday – Sunday

Note: You may visit the Jiming Temple nearby at the same time (Ticket: CNY 10)

Getting there by public transport:

1. Metro Line 3 or Line 4/Jiming Temple Station
2. Bus No. 304/Jiming Temple Station
3. Bus No. 11, 20, 48/Heping Park Station or Jiming Temple Metro Station

Cherry Blossom Garden in Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area

Located to the east of Plum Blossom Hill, Cherry Blossom Garden is beside the Sacred Way in the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area and covers an area of 60 mu (approximately 4 hectares). With more than 3000 cherry blossom trees in 26 quality varieties, it is not only the cherry blossom garden with the most complete varieties, but also the biggest cherry blossom appreciation location in the Nanjing city. The best time to appreciate cherry blossoms is from March to early April.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: Ming Tomb Scenic Area, Zhongshan Mountain National Park, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Ticket: CNY 70 (for visiting the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area)

Open hours:

1. 06:00-18:00, Monday – Sunday (November – February)
2. 06:30-18:30, Monday – Sunday (March – October)

Getting there by public transport:

1. Metro Line 2/Exit 1 at Muxuyuan Station
2. Nanjing City Tour Bus Line1, 2, or 3/ Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty Station (Plum Blossom Valley Parking Lot)
3. Bus No. 20, 315/Xiaoling Tomb of Ming Dynasty Station

Tel. No.:

1. Hotline: +86 25 84431174
2. Ticket: +86 25 84437786
3. Helpline: +86 25 84442880

Xuanwu Lake Park

Xuanwu Lake Park is the largest urban park in the southern region of the Yangtze River reaches in China. There are five islets (Huan Islet, Ying Islet, Ling Islet, Liang Islet, and Cui Islet) which are connected by bridges and causeways, integrated perfectly with the surrounding waters and hills. While plum blossoms can be found mostly in Liang Islet, cherry blossoms are predominantly seen in Ying Islet. Compared with Jiming Temple Road and Cherry Blossom Garden in the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty Scenic Area, Xuanwu Lake Park is more spacious, where you may avoid overly dense crowds.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: No. 1 Xuanwu Alley, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Ticket: Free

Open hours: Full day, Monday – Sunday

Getting there by public transport:

1. Metro Line 1, get off at Xuanhu Gate Station (Xuanwumen), walk in the park through Xuanwu Gate
2. Metro Line 2, get off at Jiming Temple Station, walk in the park through Jiefang Gate

The following is the classic cherry blossom appreciation route in Xuanwu Lake area, called “Three Lines and Three Spots”.

Three Lines:

1. Line 1: Jiefang Gate – Ling Islet – Ying Islet – Lotus Square – Fangqiao Bridge
2. Line 2: Xuanwu Gate – the rockery waterfall – Cuihong Causeway – Ying Islet – Lotus Square – Fangqiao Bridge
3. Ten-Li Causeway Gate – Fengshang Avenue – the great lawn of the western-style church – the Camellia Garden – Plumb Blossom Avenue

Three Spots:

1. Spot 1: Ying Island (樱洲)
2. Spot 2: Fangqiao Bridge (芳桥)
3. Spot 3: Lovers Garden (情侣园)

Best Places to See Peach Blossoms

Qixia Mountain Scenic Area

Located in the middle of Qixia District of Nanjing, Qixia Mountain has beautiful scenery and profound cultural heritage. It has more than 80 historical sites. The peach blossom landscape of the Ancient Peach Blossom Ravine (“古桃花涧” in Chinese) has been spectacular since the Song Dynasty. Up to today, people still can see the ancient inscriptions in the cliffs on both sides of Peach Blossom Ravine. The peach blossoms are mostly distributed in Peach Blossom Ravine, Fenglin Lake, Dufeng Pavilion and on both sides of the main road from Mirror Lake (“明镜湖” in Chinese) to the South Gate with the most abundant varieties and the best views.

Photo source: Official Wechat of Qixia Mountain Scenic Area

Address: No. 88, Qixia Street, Qixia District, Nanjing

Ticket: CNY 25 (off season), CNY 40 (peak season)

Open hours: 8:00-16:30, Monday – Sunday

Getting there by public transport:

1. Metro Line 1/Nanjing Railway Station -> Transfer to Bus No. 206 at the north square/Qixia Station
2. Metro Line 2/Xueze Road Station -> Transfer to Bus No. 138/Qixia Station
3. Metro Line 2/Xianlin Campus of Nanjing University Station -> Transfer to Bus No. 206/Qixia Station
4. Metro Line 3/Nanjing Forestry University Station or Xinzhuang Station -> Transfer to Bus No. 206/Qixia Station

Tel. No.: +86 25 85761831

Shi'ao Taoyuan under Niushou Mountain

Shi'ao Taoyuan (“世凹桃源” in Chinese) is a beautiful village located at the foot of the southwestern foothills of Niushou Mountain. The typical Huizhou styled architecture of dark grey tiles and white walls in the village are perfectly integrated with the surrounding waters and hills. Wakened by the spring breeze, the peach blossoms in the Taohua Mountain are in full bloom. While climbing the mountain and admiring the peach blossoms, you can also overlook the Tang Pagoda on Niushou Mountain.

Photo source: Official Wechat of Shi'ao Taoyuan

Best Places to See Rape Flowers

Gaochun Yaxi Cittaslow International Tourist Resort

Gaochun has more than 200,000 mu (approximately 13,340 hectares) of high-quality rape fields. The initial flowering period usually starts in late March every year and the full-bloom period is in the early and mid-April, and the entire flowering period can last till the end of April and the beginning of May. Located in the northeast of Gaochun District, Yaxi Cittaslow International Tourist Resort is a comprehensive tourist scenic area integrating ecological sightseeing, agricultural experience, and leisure and vacation. When rape flowers bloom, you may come here to appreciate those golden flowers while enjoying a couple of leisurely days.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: Yaxi County, Gaochun District, Nanjing

Getting there by public transport:

Take the shuttle bus to Gaochun at Nanjing Southern Bus Station, transfer to Bus No. 203 at the West Station in Gaochun and get off at Yaxi Cittaslow Station.

Self-drive itinerary:

Downtown Nanjing – Ninggao (Ningxuan) Highway (S55) – Gaochun Shuangpaishi – Shuangwang Road – Yangyang Line

Zhiqing Flower Field in Yangtze River Fishing Village

The Zhiqing Flower Field is located in Yangtze River Fishing Village, Longpao Community, Liuhe District, Nanjing. It covers an area of 800 mu (approximately 53.4 hectares) and is planted with different varieties of flowering plants, including rape, verbena, coreopsis, zinnia, cosmos, and February orchids. The local residents “plant” a giant "dragon robe" on the field, rape followers being the robe body with other colorful plants as the patterns. The blossom season of rape flowers is the best time to appreciate the "Dragon Robe" flower field.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Address: Longpao Community, Liuhe District, Nanjing

Getting there by public transport:

Bus K1/Longpao Station, transfer to Bus No. 473/Changjiang Community Station

Self-drive itinerary:

Downtown Nanjing – the No. 4 Changjiang Bridge (Exit: Longpao) - Yangtze River Fishing Village

Best Place to See Crabapple Blossoms

Mochou Lake Park

Mochou Lake is a famous classical Chinese garden in Southern China, where various classical buildings, porches, pavilions and corridors are harmoniously arranged. Every spring when the lakeside crabapple blossoms are in full bloom, the colorful petals are floating on the lake surface, making a picturesque view. Mochou Lake was once well-known as "Nanjing's Top 1 Attraction" and the "Most Famous Lake in Southern China". The scenery of "Mochou Yanyu", literally meaning Mochou Lake in the mist and drizzle, ranks the first among the 48 Featured Scenes of Nanjing.

Photo source: Nanjing Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

Ticket: 35 CNY

Open hours: 8:00-17:00, Monday – Sunday

Tel.: +86 25 86613724

Address:

1. South Gate: No. 132 Shuiximen Street, Jianye District, Nanjing
2. North Gate: No. 35 Hanzhongmen Street, Jianye District, Nanjing

Getting there by public transport:

1. Get to the South Gate: Nanjing City Tour Bus/Mochou Lake Station, Bus No. 7, 13, 19, 48, 204/Mochou Lake South Gate Station
2. Get to the North Gate: Metro Line 2/Exit 1 of Mochou Lake Station, Bus No. 9, 20, 29, 68/Mochou Xinyu Station

Explore more places of blossom appreciation in Nanjing:

Closing remarks: Since ancient times, Chinese has the custom of appreciating flowers in spring. In the bright spring sunlight, people go outing together with friends and families to get close to nature. If you happen to come to Nanjing in spring, why not do as the Romans do, and join this grand once-in-a-year aesthetic activity?