A woman wearing hanfu views the cherry blossoms in the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]
The 2023 Shanghai Chenshan Cherry Blossom Festival will be held from March 4 to April 9 in the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, according to a recent announcement.
Chenshan's cherry blossom garden, where many cherry trees of various species are planted, is a must-visit place for spring sightseers, and Chenshan's famed cherry boulevard, a star attraction, attracts crowds of photographers. Images of cherry blossoms in Chenshan splash across news sites and social media every year.
During this year's cherry blossom festival, a variety of themed activities will be held in the garden to add fun for admirers.
Guide for admiring cherry blossoms
The cherry blossom garden covers an area of about 58,000 square meters and is located near Gate I. It's home to over 2,000 cherry plants of more than 80 species and varieties that come from overseas and across the country.
The trees bloom in different periods of the spring season, enabling visitors to admire the beauty of blossoms of different kinds throughout the spring.
From late February to early and mid-March, tourists can view the early-blooming trees along Kawazu Sakura Boulevard and Yingchun Cherry Blossom Ring, especially in the prime period of early March.
From late March to early April, Chenshan's kilometer-long cherry boulevard forms a sea of pink flowers and crowds flock to linger among them.
In April, areas for viewing the later-blooming trees continue to bring charming flowers.
Guide for enjoying activities
The 2023 Shanghai Chenshan Cherry Blossom Festival will feature cherry blossom-related and China-chic activities including a camping event, live-streaming events, a tour game, hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) activities, a cultural and creative exhibition, a cherry blossom post office, a lecture on cherry blossom cultures, and a variety of popular science games and activities.
Visitors will have the opportunity to picnic on the grass along the cherry boulevard, admire the blossoms under the moonlight and watch movies in the open air. Visitors can sign up for the lecture on March 25 which introduces the germplasm resources of cherry blossoms, the ornamental characteristics of their different varieties, and their cultures in various countries. Hanfu lovers can rent hanfu and buy photography services to take photos, and movie lovers can enjoy a film at a Drive-in Cinema.
Convenient services
During the festival, visitors can enjoy the following convenient services:
1. Temporary dining spots
Temporary food and beverage markets will be set up at the Gate II Food Market, the On-water Coffee Bar, the square inside Gate I, the Mulan Garden and other places in the garden.
2. Convenient changing rooms
In the inner square inside Gate I and next to the restroom in the cherry blossom forest, a number of movable changing rooms in the form of sentry boxes and tents make it easy for tourists to change into wedding dresses and hanfu.
3. Takeaway express cabinets
Next to Gate I and Gate 2, there are new takeaway food express cabinets. Tourists can directly locate the cabinets on takeaway platforms such as Meituan and Ele.me, and visit them to pick up takeaway.
Opening hours: 8 am to 5 pm
Address: No 3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang district, Shanghai
The famed cherry boulevard is the star attraction during springtime in the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. [Photo/WeChat ID: csnbgsh]
