WHEN thinking of cherry blossoms, Wuhan University in Hubei Province and Japan may be the first two places that pop into your mind. In fact, you don’t have to travel a long way to enjoy the beautiful and romantic sights of the flowers as Guangdong is also an ideal place to enjoy the beautiful sights of cherry blossoms in spring. Here are some more places where you can view them with friends and families.
Zhenjiang, Shaoguan Zhenjiang District in Shaoguan City is a lovely place to see cherry blossoms. Located in Dongshan Village in Xinshao Township, the Cherry Blossom Park in Zhenjiang covers an area of about 67 hectares with several varieties of cherry blossoms in red, pink and white colors. The best time for seeing the flowers is from mid-February to mid-March, and tickets for the park are 10 yuan per adult.  Zhenjiang District is also the economic and cultural center of Shaoguan City. It has many other tourism sites including Zhongshan Park, Dajianchan Temple, Fengcai Tower, Qujiang Park, Jujing Memorial Hall, River Island and Shaoguan Museum. Among these, Dajian Temple is a must-see place. Built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the temple has a history of more than 1,300 years and is one of the major Buddhist temples in South China. Transport: Take a coach to Shaoguan from major coach stations in Shenzhen and take a taxi to the park. Huadu, Guangzhou The cherry blossom valley in Hengkeng Village, Huadu District, has more than 9,000 Japanese cherry blossom trees imported from Taiwan. Most of the flowers are in dark red, light pink and white colors. After years of breeding, the trees have adapted to the climate and soil in Guangdong and are growing well in the province. The best time to see the trees in blossom in the village is from the beginning of February to mid-March. There is no charge for entering the valley. Visitors can also buy cherry blossom trees in the village. The price for a medium-level tree is about 100,000 yuan (US$15,750). Transport: Take a coach to Huadu from the city’s major coach stations and take a taxi to the village. Visitors can also take a train to Guangzhou from the Shenzhen Railway Station and get to the village by coach at the Guangzhou Railway Station. Sunflower Garden, Guangzhou Located in Nansha District in Guangzhou, Sunflower Garden is a well-known place for plants and flowers in Guangdong Province. Currently, there are more than 6,000 cherry blossom trees of 10 different types in the park. April to June is a good time to see the flowers in the park, but March is the best time to enjoy the romantic blossoms. The park is also an ideal place for flowers in spring, which is perfect for a fun family outing on the weekends. Many couples in the province choose to take their wedding pictures in the park. When visiting the park, steamed chicken is a must-try delicacy. Other delicacies in the area include lotus root and pork stew, fried lotus roots and stuffed lotus roots. Transport: Take a train to Guangzhou from Shenzhen Railway Station and take a taxi to the park.(Wang Yuanyuan) | 