Shiny-leaved yellow horns, which boast of a 6,500-year history, are seen in full bloom at Yuanmingyuan Park, also known as the Old Summer Palace in Haidian District, northwest Beijing. /CFP

The flowering plant is rarely seen in the city and said to be only planted in imperial gardens or temples. /CFP

The Yuanmingyuan Park houses hundreds of yellow horns and their flowering season lasts 12 to 25 days generally from the middle of April to the end of May. /CFP

The shiny-leaved yellow horn in Chinese is a homophone of "civil officials" in Chinese. In ancient times, the yellow horn was seen as an auspicious emblem for scholars, symbolizing high scores in exams. /CFP