Huanjiang glows with vibrant peach blossoms

The flower path in the Bajie Mountain is bustling with tourists on Feb 28. [Photo by Feng Mingui/hcwang.cn]

Spring is in the air in Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county as peach blossoms covered Bajie Mountain in a blanket of vibrant pink.

A peach blossom festival, the second of its kind, was organized by the Huanjiang county Party committee and people's government. The festival began on Feb 28 and will last until March 8.

With splendid views and the irresistible aroma of the perennial spring flower, the festival's opening ceremony includes performances which showcase traditional Maonan ethnic culture as well as modern art, including the lusheng (a reed-pipe wind instrument) dance, qipao show and pop songs.

Pink pedals illuminate the branches as they await visitors at Bajie Mountain Park. [Photo by Feng Mingui/hcwang.cn]

Yang Bo, deputy county chief, said that in recent years Huanjiang has taken advantage of its natural resources by planting peach trees and establishing a theme park, which has significantly improved the area's ecological health and provided an ideal place for sightseeing.

The park began planting peach blossom trees in 2012 and now boasts an area of over 13.3 hectares with 22,000 trees.

"The sea of peach blossoms has a calming effect on people. I will certainly be coming back next year", said Li Yujuan, a Huanjiang resident who missed last year's festival and so decided to make an early visit to this year's event.

"It feels like I'm in a wonderland. I will capture the memories I have here and share them with my friends", said a visitor surnamed Wei, who came from Nanning, capital city of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.