JINSHAN is floating in a sea of blooming flowers this spring as the district hosts a flower festival from late March to April 20, attracting urban day-trippers seeking a getaway.

Visitors to the district can expect spring blossoms, flowering trees, ornamental plants, and local fruit such as fresh strawberries and vegetables ripe for the picking.

Every town and virtually every farmhouse will be showing off its best blossoms and authentic Jinshan delicacies.

As one of the biggest farm areas in Shanghai, Jinshan boasts more than 2,000 hectares of orchards and over 1,333 hectares of rapeseed flowers.

Peach, cherry, pear, camellia, bauhinia, blueberry and magnolia flowers are either in bloom or about to blossom, turning the district into a giant garden.

The festival will include Jinshan special spring snacks, a photography contest among the city’s 10 universities, an exhibition of quality Jinshan-grown farm products and a cycling tour open to amateurs.

One of the biggest highlights is “An Egg’s Walking,” a charity event raising funds to buy poor kids eggs for their lunch. The event is on April 19 in Jinshan and volunteers will walk 50 kilometers in the district’s countryside.

The 1,333 hectares of rapeseed blossom into golden fields around the Tomb-sweeping Festival in early April. The flowers also bloom around farmers’ houses, paths and riversides, because it is a tradition for local villagers to plant flowering plants in their yards.

The Jinshan Agricultural Bureau will also update different flowers’ blooming dates on its website, making it convenient for tourists to arrange visits.

Peach and rapeseed flowers are expected to be in full bloom from late March to April 20, while the Eryue orchid will bloom from now to April 25.

The flower festival covers many towns including Langxia, Luxiang, Fengjing, Tinglin and coastal Shanyang.

Jinshi Road in Langxia is one of the major spring flower boulevards. The 12km road is flanked by large patches of pink and white peach blossoms and golden rapeseed flowers, occasionally separated by golden cauliflower and blooming milk vetch.

Picturesque Langxia offers urban dwellers a place to slow down and recharge. It features original village houses with whitewashed walls and grey roof tiles.

Visitors can enjoy the traditional Lianxiang Dance, a folk dance performed with a long, decorated wooden stick.

In Fengjing, an ancient water town, there are large peach groves, covering more than 67 hectares. Also, almost 7 hectares of pomegranate trees are blossoming with red flowers.

Luxiang, one of the city’s primary peach-growing areas, also is covered with flowers.

And the town’s Agricultural Tool Museum displays a wide array of old-fashioned tools, and visitors can learn to spin on a weaving machine, twist straw ropes, plough and bind sheaves.

Recommended flower sites:

Langxia Ecological Park

Address: 9133 Caolang Rd, Langxia Town

Jingguan Peach Orchard

Address: 3088 Wanfeng Rd, Fengjing Town

Home of Peach Flowers

Address: 818 Jinshi Rd N., Luxiang Town

Agricultural Tool Museum

Address: 3003 Jinshi Rd N., Luxiang Town

Ma’s Peach Center

Address: At the junction of the Jinshi Rd N. and Yangping Rd

Appreciating the flower belts

Langxia Town Flower Belt

By public transport: Take Lianlang Bus Line at the Lianhua Road Station of the Metro Line 1 to the terminal station.

By car: Take S19 Highway and get off at Zhangyan exit. Drive along Jinzhangzhi Road to the east and turn right at Qinwan Road. Go along Qinwan Road to the south and turn right at Caolang Road. Drive to the west on Caolang Road and you will reach the core flower belt.

Or, take the G15 Highway and get off at Jinshan New City exit. Drive along Songwei Road South to Caolang Road. Turn left and go west.

Luxiang Town Flower Belt

By public transport: Take the Jinshan Railway at the Shanghai South Railway Station. Get off at Jinshanwei Station. Shift to the Zhuqianwei Bus Line and get off at the main scenic area at the Jinshi Road N. and Zhulu Road.

Or, take the Lianlang Bus Line at the Lianhua Road Station of Metro Line 1. Get off at the gas station at Jinshi Road N. and Zhulu Road.

By car: Take S19 Highway at the Luxiang exit. Drive on Rongchang Road and turn right to Zhulu Road.

Fengjing Town Flower Belt

By public transport: Take Fengmei Bus Line at the Jinjiang Park Station of Metro Line 1 to the old town.

By car: Take the G60 Highway and get off at the Fengjing exit. Turn right to Tingfeng Road and drive to the west.

For more information on the flower festival, you can call 5795-1234.