Spring unfolds on Fujian’s Tea Hills

Editor︰Ryu

Each spring, crowds of visitors head to Zhangping in Longyan, Fujian, home to one of China’s largest cherry-blossom destinations.

Unlike the more familiar urban blossom displays, here the flowers spread across tea-covered hills, where pink and green meet in spectacular fashion.

In the early morning light, the landscape takes on an almost heavenly beauty, making it one of Zhangping's most captivating spring sights.

100,000 Cherry blossoms at Fujian’s Yongfu Tea Hills

Zhangping City, located in Longyan, Fujian, is a place renowned for its tea production. Among its more than 110,000 mu of tea plantations, those in Yongfu Tea Hills are the most famous.

Why? Because besides the rolling green tea mountains, there is also a romantic sea of cherry blossoms stretching for miles.

Yongfu Tea Hills are the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Zhangping City, Longyan, Fujian, and is known for the seas of cherry blossoms in Yongfu Cherry Blossom Garden and Taipin Cherry Blossom Tea Garden. (Image Source: Getty)

In Yongfu Tea Hills, over 50,000 mu of alpine tea plantations are planted with more than 100,000 cherry blossom trees, featuring as many as 42 varieties, including China Red, Formosan cherry, Yunnan cherry, and Fujian cherry. The scale is magnificent.

A total of 42 varieties of cherry blossoms are planted in Yongfu Cherry Blossom Garden, Fujian, including Yunnan cherry (far left), Formosan cherry (centre), and Peony cherry (far right). (Image Source: VCG)

Due to the unique alpine climate and geographical environment, compared to other cherry blossom viewing spots in China, the flowering period of cherry blossoms in Yongfu, Fujian is earlier and longer.

They generally start to bloom around late January, with a total of three flowering periods, where different varieties of cherry blossoms bloom in sequence until mid-March.

Read more: 4 Spring flowering wonderlands you can't miss in China!

Pink cherry blossoms adorn the tea mountains

In fact, there are many places in China where you can appreciate cherry blossoms, but what makes Yongfu Cherry Blossom Garden in Fujian stand out is its unique tea mountain scenery.

Yongfu Tea Hills in Fujian are situated in an alpine basin and has always been known as the "mainland Alishan" and "Little Lushan".

The mountains are beautiful and the waters are clear, and the climate is pleasant; simply admiring the vast, boundless tea mountains is already a feast for the eyes. With the arrival of spring, paired with the blooming cherry blossoms, the level of beauty is elevated even further.

At sunrise, the pink cherry blossoms and green tea fields reflect each other, creating a beauty that resembles heaven on earth. This is the most unique spring scene in Yongfu, Fujian. (Image Source: VCG)

The sea of cherry blossoms in Yongfu, Fujian is connected with the tea mountains. Pink cherry blossom trees are interspersed among the lush green tea leaves.

The winding corridors of cherry blossoms, like a moving musical score, adorn the verdant tea mountains. Everywhere you look, the gardens are filled with crimson red and clusters of beautiful flowers.

The spectacular tea plantations paired with the sea of cherry blossoms are breathtaking.

This enchanting landscape, reminiscent of a paradise on earth, has earned the Yongfu Cherry Blossom Tea Plantation a feature in Chinese National Geography magazine, which hailed it as one of the "National Top Ten Cherry Blossom Viewing Sites" and the "Most Beautiful Cherry Blossom Destination in China" – a reputation that is well deserved.

Due to the altitude, soil, climate, and other conditions in Zhangping, Fujian, it is very suitable for growing Taiwanese Oolong tea; therefore, it is also the largest production area for Taiwanese high-mountain Oolong tea in mainland China. (Image Source: VCG)

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