"The peach tree beams so red. How brilliant are its flowers. The maiden's getting wed. Good for the nuptial bowers." 

This is a verse in Shijing, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, describing a young woman getting married in a cheerful spring. 

Peach blossom is a significant element in Chinese culture as it is a symbol of love and well-being, as well as a sign of spring and vitality. 

Peaches originate in China. According to archaeologists from Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the ancient Chinese in the lower reaches of Yangtze River already knew how to cultivate peaches 7,500 years ago. Until today, the deciduous tree has earned its place in agriculture, literature and horticulture.

(When CGTN Nature's documentary crew was filming in Tibet in 2019, they recorded the peach blossom trees in Nyingchi Prefecture. )

From south to north, many cities, regions and gardens hold their own peach blossom festivals every year when the flowers are blooming, which attract thousands of tourists to enjoy the eye-catching flowers and boost local tourism. 

Nyingchi peach bossom festival in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is one of the most popular events. Unlike the cultivated species in gardens, the peach trees here are a wild species called Prunus mira, or Tibetan peach. The species can be found in the valleys or hills where the altitude is around 2000-3400 meters above sea level, hence they are more cold-resistant and also taller.

China in Bloom

Flowering is not just about plants. It's also about how people approach their lives. Today, it has become a popular outdoor activity across China. In some places, watching flowers has been turned into a tourist hotspot and thus an economic drive. As the Two Sessions, the most important political event in a year, is currently underway, CGTN Nature presents a new series China in Bloom to showcase the beauty of the country in spring by introducing some of the most popular flowers in the country as well as the stories of how flowers contribute to people's lives.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com)