As another spring arrives in Beijing, the capital welcomes the return of the year's prime blossom viewing season. As such, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism yesterday announced 12 of the best routes in the city to enjoy the spring blossoms.

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows blooming flowers at the Beijing International Sculpture Park in Shijingshan District of Beijing, China, March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Lyu You)

Along these 12 routes, visitors can enjoy the most beautiful and representative spring flower species in Beijing, namely, winter jasmine, magnolia, peach blossom, plum blossom, cherry blossom, lilac, begonia, apricot blossom, pear blossom, tulip, peony, and the Chinese phoenix tree flower.

The 12 routes go beyond flower viewing by combining the charm of spring with Beijing's representative scenic spots such as Beihai Park, Beijing Zhongshan Park, Jingshan Park, Summer Palace, Tanzhe Temple, Dajue Temple, The Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling, and the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall.

While enjoying the blossoms and touring China's political and cultural center, tourists are reminded not to neglect the beauty of Beijing's ancient buildings and the enchanting anecdotes and historical figures that can be told through the city's flora.

"The epidemic has prevented citizens from traveling around the world, but in fact, there are many beautiful sceneries to be enjoyed in Beijing," said Zhang Jing, director of the Resources Development Division of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. Zhang added that the 12 routes were chosen in full consideration of combining cultural elements with the flower species on show.

Zhang explained that such arrangements can allow citizens to better appreciate the flowers and to learn more about the surrounding ancient architecture and the stories behind it.

The announced route list is part of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism's "Best of Beijing on Foot" series, originally launched in June 2020. A total of 24 routes have been launched previously, including four special routes for the recent Chinese New Year period.

"The are many other types of flowers in Beijing during spring," said Zhang. "We just selected 12 of the most representative varieties with the hope that citizens can better appreciate Beijing's architecture while enjoying the splendid spring."