Beneath glowing petals and moonlit groves, residents welcome a vibrant season as new varieties of cherry blossoms paint the urban landscape blush, He Qi reports.

The cherry blossoms at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. The 2026 Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place from March 9 to April 9 in Gucun Park as the main venue, as well as various other spots in the city. SHANGHAI CHENSHAN BOTANICAL GARDEN

In Shanghai's Gucun Park, visitors wearing flowing hanfu pause beneath blooming cherry trees, capturing the essence of spring as pink and white blossoms gently sway in the breeze, signaling that the annual cherry blossom season is in full swing in the city.

Across Shanghai, blossoms are beginning to unfold. From new nighttime viewing experiences in Gucun Park in Baoshan district to advances in domestic cherry blossom breeding at Chenshan Botanical Garden, the coming weeks promise a spring landscape filled with color, offering residents a romantic springtime escape.

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As a core IP of the city's spring cultural tourism, the 2026 Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival runs from Monday to April 9 in Gucun Park, which spans over 1,600 mu (106.7 hectares), with 120 varieties and over 16,000 cherry trees, making it the city's largest and most popular cherry blossom destination.

This year, besides adding popular varieties like white Somei Yoshino and Kawazu-zakura cherry in pink, the festival moves beyond traditional flower viewing, emphasizing all-day experiences and cross-disciplinary integration. A highlight is the "Moving with the Blossoms" nighttime model, which encourages visitors to enjoy the trees after sunset.

"In the past, time constraints limited cherry blossom viewing, with office workers often missing the daytime bloom as there were few good options in the evening," explains Liu Chuanbao, general manager of Shanghai Wusongkou Culture Tourism Investment (Group) Co. "This new model follows the natural rhythm of the blossoms while offering a richer experience."

During the early blooming stage from March 9 to 21, the area near Gate 3 of Gucun Park stays open until 9:30 pm. From March 21 to April 9, as the flowers reach midand late-bloom, the core area near Gate 2 will feature light installations, cultural markets, and specialty food stalls.

"The extended hours aim to create an immersive nighttime experience while boosting the city's growing evening economy," Liu adds.

Currently, early cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Li Yong, the park's greening management manager, explains: "The main varieties in full bloom now are the Prunus introrsa or Chunhan, Kawazu-zakura, and Prunus campanulata Maxim cherry. The differences are quite distinct: Prunus campanulata Maxim has a purplish hue, with bell-shaped flowers hanging downward, hence the name; Kawazu-zakura is pink and vibrant; the Chunhan has particularly lush stamens."

Li also revealed key bloom updates. "The two main anticipated varieties, Prunus campanulata or Feihan and Somei Yoshino cherry, are expected to enter their viewing period in about two weeks, with peak bloom around late March and early April, coinciding with the Qingming Festival, when the city will see a cherry blossom viewing peak."

Beyond bloom management and variety care, Gucun Park is also enhancing visitor services and cultural tourism integration. An upgraded cherry blossom passport is being introduced, integrating resources from Baoshan's commercial areas, dining, accommodations, and cruises.

Visitors who purchase festival tickets or participate in associated events can receive discounts and free parking. The park is also introducing accessible viewing services, including free electric vehicle transfers and wheelchair assistance for visitors with lower limb disabilities.

Behind the vibrant cityscape of cherry blossoms lies groundbreaking progress in domestic cherry blossom breeding, according to Yu Lixia, senior engineer of the horticultural landscape department at Chenshan Botanical Garden.

"By 2020, only 21 domestically bred cherry blossom varieties were authorized. Between 2021 and 2025, that number grew to more than 200," Yu says.

Chenshan Botanical Garden has introduced nearly 30 native and domestically bred varieties. These account for over 30 percent of the total, with high-quality domestic varieties like Feihan cherry gradually being used in urban landscaping, effectively breaking the monopoly of foreign cherry blossom varieties.

The garden is helping develop "technical guidelines for planting and maintaining cherry blossoms in urban green spaces", addressing long-standing gaps in local landscaping standards, ensuring vibrant blooms and stable flowering periods.

Weather patterns have also shaped this year's bloom in Shanghai. A relatively warm winter and intermittent high temperatures accelerated flowering for some varieties. Kawazu-zakura trees at Chenshan Botanical Garden entered full bloom nearly 10 days earlier than in 2025 — the earliest peak in almost five years.

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Yu says the early bloom offers both pleasure and scientific value as it enriches residents' spring experiences while providing valuable field data for monitoring plant phenology in cities.

Shanghai's cherry blossom viewing map has long achieved multipoint blooming, greatly enhancing viewing convenience. Besides the core landmarks of Gucun Park and Chenshan Botanical Garden, Lu Xun Park, Jing'an Sculpture Park, Gongqing Forest Park, and Century Park are all excellent choices for residents to enjoy the blossoms.

"Cherry blossoms also brighten neighborhood streets and smaller community green spaces. The succession of early, mid — and late-blooming varieties allows people to enjoy blossoms from late February through April, extending the romance of spring across the entire city," Yu adds.

Contact the writer at heqi@chinadaily.com.cn