Luoyang Peony Festival opens next month

The 28th Luoyang Peony Festival is set to be held in Luoyang City in central China's Henan Province from April 1st to May 5th, and organizers are extending a heartfelt invitation to Beijing citizens to visit the city, news portal Qianlong.com reports.

The 27th Luoyang peony fair festival opened on April 10, 2009. The peony, the emblem flower of Luoyang and China, is lauded as queen of flowers with ethereal color and celestial fragrance. [File Photo:CRIonline]

Boasting the best peonies in the country and a thousand years of history, Luoyang is set to usher in many tourists at that time.

During the peony festival, the city will be turned into a sea of flowers at popular viewing spots like Wangcheng Park and Xiyuan Park. The China National Flower Garden is an ideal site for a 2.5-kilometer walking tour showcasing the history and culture of the peony and the city.

In addition, the Sui Tang Relics Botanical Garden and the Qian Zi Peony Garden are where you can find as many as nine colors of peony. For late visitors, the city's southern mountain areas and northern Wanshan Lake are also recommended sites for viewing the charming peony.

Although the city has entered spring, this month is even colder than February – a phenomenon referred to as an "inverse spring cold." This year's festival will reportedly last more than a month due to the unusually chilly spring weather's ability and a scientific temperature control to keep the flowers fresh, making it the longest festival since 1983.

The 27th Luoyang peony fair festival opened on April 10, 2009. The peony, the emblem flower of Luoyang and China, is lauded as queen of flowers with ethereal color and celestial fragrance. [File Photo:CRIonline]

The first Luoyang Peony Festival was held in 1983, and since then, the event was made into an annual festival for enjoying the flowers and beautiful scenery. Compared to the 11-day festivals held over the past 19 years, next month's festival will be the longest one yet.