Peach blossoms in Pinggu District [Photo via VCG]

The press conference of the 25th Pinggu International Peach Blossom Festival was held on April 7 in Pinggu District of Beijing. At the press conference, the festival scheduled to be held from April 12 to May 31, as well as four featured routes, multiple flower viewing areas, and cultural, commercial, and tourism activities, were announced.

On April 6, the peach tree forest of Shanqian Nuanqu (which literally means "warm zone in front of the mountain") (along Changjin Road) entered the blooming period. Starting from April 8, the peach blossoms on the plains, low mountains and remote mountains gradually opened, slightly earlier than in previous years.

The first Pinggu Peach Blossom Festival was held in 1992, and in 1999 it was officially renamed the "Pinggu International Peach Blossom Festival", an event that combines elements of agriculture, music, leisure, and culinary culture. From April 12 to May 31, this year's Pinggu International Peach Blossom Festival will be held throughout Pinggu District. This year, Pinggu District is promoting four featured flower-viewing routes themed on water activities, agricultural tourism, culture, and leisure. In addition, 12 areas for viewing peach blossoms are recommended to visitors based on the varying blooming periods. These areas are Daling, Jinhai Lake, Taohua Island, Cuixing Road, and Changjin Road in the plain area; Yukou, Taohuayuan, Taohuahai, Xiaojinshan, Yaji Mountain and Xunhe Road in the low mountain area; and Luoying Town, the northernmost town in the remote mountain area. Besides peach blossoms, there are areas featuring peach flowers at Dahuashan and Zhenluoying.

The first highlight is that this year's festival includes multiple exciting activities. Unlike the sessions in previous years, which focused on flower viewing, this year's session will introduce over 40 activities in five categories including sports, culture, tourism, agriculture, and business promotion to enhance participation and interaction.

The second highlight is the excellent tourism experience. Pinggu District joins hands with Gaode Map to create a comprehensive digital map of all tourism elements, covering spots for appreciating flowers, restaurants providing delicious dishes, hotels, homestays, popular scenic spots, places for picking agricultural products, coffee shops, and more. Visitors can reach the areas by scanning the corresponding codes with just one click to arrive at their destinations directly following the navigation. The map makes trips more convenient and efficient. The digital map also provides navigation for shopping areas in the entire district to attract more consumers and promote commercial vitality.

The third highlight is the reassuring travel guarantee. Prior to this year's festival, all the sub-districts, townships and towns involved carried out environmental remediation, preparing the flower trails for the arrival of visitors. Traffic management measures are also implemented to ensure smooth transportation.

Taoyuan Yizhan, located in Dahuashan Town, is the highlight of this year's session. It is a one-stop comprehensive service area that can meet different needs such as sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. It has set up immersive themed blocks featuring ancient styles, digital light and shadow shows, prepackaged food-tasting services, coffee-tasting services, and other experiential items. From April 13 to 21, China (Beijing) Development Conference and Special Events on "Doing a Good Job in Developing Local Specialties" will be held in the parlor of Taoyuan Yizhan.

During the festival this year, Pinggu District, together with Jizhou District and Baodi District of Tianjin, Zunhua City, Sanhe City and Xinglong County of Hebei Province, jointly formed the Leisure Tourism Demonstration Zone in Eastern Beijing (hereinafter referred to as the "Zone"). The six administrative divisions integrate their advantageous cultural and tourism resources, and jointly launch five boutique tourist routes in the Zone.

Four boutique routes for flower appreciation

Route 1: Downtown Beijing → Beijing-Pinggu Expressway → Jinhai Lake Peach Blossom Viewing Area → Jinhai Lake Scenic Area → Bibo Island → H Living Hall → Downtown Beijing

This route integrates water entertainment, leisure, vacation, mountaineering, and hiking. You can enjoy the beautiful landscape formed by mountains and water bodies and have fun in water activities. You can also hike around the lake, sip coffee, and enjoy your relaxing leisure time.

Route 2: Downtown Beijing → Huanle Fengchang (Happy Bee Farm) → Yukou Jingwa Science and Technology Demonstration Park → Taohuayuan/Taohuahai/Xiaojinshan → Downtown Beijing

This route integrates scenery, entertainment, and interactive experience related to agricultural science popularization, making this the best choice for families with children.

Route 3: Downtown Beijing → Beijing-Pinggu Expressway → Taohuayuan/Taohuahai/Xiaojinshan Flower Admiring Area → Yaji Mountain Scenic Area → Downtown Beijing

This route integrates food picking, history and culture, flower appreciation, and leisure activities. It is suitable for all who fancy playful experiences.

Route 4: Downtown Beijing → Liujiadian town → Yaji Mountain Scenic Area → Dahuashan → Zhenluoying → Winding Mountain Road at Huangsongyu → Tianyun Mountain/Shilin Gorge/Jingdong Great Stalactite Cave → Downtown Beijing

This route offers beautiful natural scenery along the way. Visitors can visit not only famous scenic spots but also admire peach blossoms, Chinese violet cresses, and pear blossoms. This route is best for those who wish to experience a slow-paced lifestyle.

(Sources: Beijing Daily, www.ce.cn)