Flower admiring guide at Slender West Lake

Just as the ancient Chinese household poetry phrase goes "Heading east for Yangzhou among hazy vernal hues", Yangzhou in East China’s Jiangsu province is a must-go during the flowery springtime.

The Slender West Lake Scenic Area in Yangzhou recently released a flower admiring guide to visitors as more than 100 varieties of plants usher in during the florescence period.

Thousands of plum trees of different varieties have been planted in the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, which are currently in full bloom.

Jingxiang Bookstore, Jiuqu Bridge, and Wangchun Pavilion are the most recommended sites to admire plum blossoms.

According to the scenic area’s management, the florescence of the plum trees will last until early April.

The scenic area is also home to hundreds of cherry trees of many varieties. Early-blossoming ones will be in full bloom from late March to early April, while the late-flowering ones enter florescence in mid and late April.

Wanhua Garden is the best place to admire cherry blossoms at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area.

What else is there?

Mangnolia flowers

March marks the flowering season of Mangolias, which are mostly seen with white, pink, yellow and purple petals, usually appearing with or before leaves. Wangchun Pavilion and Wanhua Garden are recommended sites to admire the flower at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area.

Winter jasmines

Winter jasmines are one of the earliest flowering plants to bloom, often in January. They bloom to the fullest from late February to early March.

The decorative plant is easy to spot near many walls, fences and stretches of trellis at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area with its bright yellow blooms.

Honeysuckle

The plant is a bushy deciduous shrub with extraordinarily fragrant blooms. The whole hill across the Bonsai Museum at the Wanhua Garden is planted with the shrub. From late February to early April, the hill is covered with a profusion of fragrant, short-tubed, creamy-white flowers at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area.

Malus spectabilis

Many varieties of Haitang (Chinese flowering crabapple or Malus spectabilis) have been planted at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area. The plant begins to flower in mid and late March and enters into full bloom in April.

Wanhua Garden and Linglong Flowery World are the most recommended sites to admire the blooming Malus spectabilis.

Peach blossom

More than 30 varieties of peach trees have been planted at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area.

Visitors can admire the vibrant peach blossoms from mid-March to mid-April.

Chinese rose

The species is extensively cultivated as an ornamental plant, originally in China, and numerous cultivars have been selected.

Florescence period: late April

Recommended site: Chinese Rose Garden at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area

Syzygium aromaticum

Florescence period: late March

Recommended site: South of the Five-Pavilion Bridge, Wanhua Garden at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area

Peony

Florescence period: late April

Recommended site: Zanhua Pavilion at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area

Chinese herbaceous peony

Florescence period: early and mid-May

Recommended site: Zanhua Pavilion at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area

Prunus cerasifera

Florescence period: mid and late March

Recommended site: Wanhua Garden and Zanhua Pavilion at the Slender West Lake Scenic Area