The 31st Spring Outing Festival kicked off at Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace) on April 9 and will run through May 9. Under the theme "Flower Goddesses Transformed into 12 Beauties" (花神化身十二美人), this year's Spring Outing Festival integrates the royal garden's historical legacy with the refined elegance of the spring flower festival tradition, creating a vibrant spring cultural tourism event that brings together flower viewing, immersive experiences inspired by classical paintings, intangible cultural heritage activities, and artistic performances.
Every weekend during the festival, Yuanmingyuan will host themed intangible cultural heritage handicraft activities at the Main Hall of Crabapple Academy (海棠书院) and the Yuanmingyuan Museum. Centered on spring and floral elements, these activities combine traditional crafts such as mother-of-pearl inlay (螺钿) and "tian-tsui" (点翠) feather art with motifs drawn from the costumes of court ladies and the 12 flower goddesses, preserving the most vivid memories of spring. At the same time, the Yuanmingyuan Museum is presenting an exhibition featuring one-to-one reconstructions of the costumes and accessories depicted in "Twelve Beauties of Emperor Yongzheng", recreated using intangible cultural heritage techniques, allowing visitors to appreciate up close the ingenuity behind Qing court aesthetics.
Every weekend, performances featuring dance, Western music, and traditional Chinese music will also be staged in designated areas throughout Yuanmingyuan. For details of the performances, please check the official WeChat and Weibo accounts of Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park for updates.
In addition, a spring flower-viewing guide map will be launched on Yuanmingyuan's official WeChat account. The park also partners with Dianping to launch a themed check-in campaign "Come Enjoy Spring at Yuanmingyuan" and collaborated with Beijing MTR to introduce a guide on taking the subway directly to the park for flower viewing.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets are available for purchase on-site or via the official WeChat account of Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park (圆明园遗址公园) by following the on-screen instructions.
Transportation Information:
By Subway: Take Subway Line 4 to Yuanmingyuan Station.
By Bus: Take bus routes 432, 438, and 129 to Yuanmingyuan South Gate Station, or bus routes 614, 320, and 982 to Yuanmingyuan East Gate Station.
Parking is available at the South Gate Parking Lot (南门停车场), Xiaonanyuan Parking Lot (小南园停车场), and East Gate Parking Lot (东门停车场).
On April 9, several wild geese rests on a grassy area at Yuanmingyuan, Beijing.
On April 9, visitors enjoys spring outings and flower viewing at Yuanmingyuan, Beijing.
On April 9, visitors enjoys spring outings and flower viewing at Yuanmingyuan, Beijing.
On April 9, a visitor experiences mother-of-pearl inlay, one of the intangible cultural heritage handicraft activities themed for the Spring Outing Festival, at the Yuanmingyuan Museum.
On April 9, a visitor admires the exhibition at the Yuanmingyuan Museum.
On April 9, visitors enjoy spring outings and flower viewing at Yuanmingyuan, Beijing.
(Source: Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park)
(Photos by Luo Xiaoguang from Xinhua News Agency)