The newly-upgraded Yanfu Garden in Shanghai
On Nanjing Road W., tulips in early spring give way to midsummer hydrangeas, autumn Siam tulips, and American holly in winter. The shifting blooms have turned one of Shanghai's busiest commercial streets into a social-media darling – a "moving four-season painting" that lures photographers and flâneurs all year-round.
Behind this living streetscape is Zhu Daoyi, a soft-spoken "city gardener" who has spent more than three decades working with flowers. As manager of the maintenance department at Jing'an Landscaping and Greening Development Co, he helps pioneer the city's streetside floral art.
Zhu Daoyi (right) works with a co-worker.
In 2008, Zhu led the removal of the old iron railings along Nanjing Road W., replacing them with azaleas, anthuriums, and other plants to create Shanghai's first "road gallery," a new model for urban beautification.
"We're not just planting greenery – we're creating works of urban art," he said.
His team blends professional floral design with the rhythms of the street, crafting dynamic "three-scenes-on-one-street" displays that change with every few steps.
Zhu's crew tends 11,000 street trees, more than 100,000 square meters of greenery, and hundreds of flower boxes. From soil chemistry to bloom timing, each decision is deliberate.
"Our goal," Zhu said, "is for every flower to bloom at its best."