Yuyuan Garden Malls welcome spring with flower festival

Credit: Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Caption: A foreign family poses against a flower lantern backdrop on the Zigzag Bridge on Friday.

The annual Spring Flower Festival began at the Yuyuan Garden Malls on Friday to celebrate the arrival of spring.

This year, the festival draws inspiration from ancient blessings of flora by the flower deities, featuring a giant peony and other flower-shape lanterns at the iconic Zigzag Bridge through April 27.

The festival showcases the "Peony Fairy" leading flower deities in presenting three themed landscapes, spreading a journey of truth, goodness and beauty.

Traditional games and heritage skills are being displayed across the malls to revive the ancient spring temple fair celebrations.

In traditional Chinese culture, famous historical figures and literary giants are ennobled as gods or goddess of a certain flower. There are a dozen gods and goddess for the 12 lunar months, but the figures vary in different times and regions.

Credit: Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Caption: A visitor takes a photo of the traditional Chinese culture bazaar at the Yuyuan Garden Malls.

People in Jiangnan, or the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, have celebrated the Flower Festival at the Beginning of Spring since the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

They go on spring outings, enjoyed blossoms, flew kites, painted the gods and goddesses of flowers and lit flowers lanterns.

The festival at the Yuyuan malls features a range of seasonal food and products. Highlights include peach gum rose milk tea for beauty and health, prosperity bags from craftsmen, and dazzling jewelry collections.

Near the malls, the BFC Bund Finance Center has unveiled a Maple Path and a spring-themed dessert district for two weekends, with over 70 famous dessert brands for the "Bund Leisure Dessert Festival."

The flower festival extends the "Jiangnan Solar Terms" cultural IP of Yuyuan, exploring solar term culture and reviving traditional festival customs of the Jiangnan area.