The Cherry Blossoms in Yuantong Mountain, Kunming

The Cherry Blossoms in Yuantong Mountain, Kunming
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Chinease Name: 圆通山樱花

English Name: Cherry Blossoms in Kunming

Location: Kunming Zoo of Yuantong Mountain/No. 92, Qingnian Road, Kunming City

Best Time: Februrary to March

Openning Time: 8 a.m. -18 p.m.

Ticket Price: 15 RMB

Overview

Every year in February and March, the cherry blossoms bloom beautifully in the Kunming Zoo located on Yuantong Mountain. Admiring the cherry blossoms has become a popular spring outing choice for many residents of Kunming. Visiting the Kunming Yuantong Mountain Zoo to enjoy the blossoms and taste delicious food is a traditional custom of the people in Kunming.

Cherry Blossom Blooming Period

When do the cherry blossoms bloom in Kunming Yuantong Mountain? Every year, from mid to late February, the cherry blossoms begin to bloom and continue until the end of March. Typically, during the cherry blossom festival, the peak bloom period occurs around International Women’s Day on March 8. At that time, thousands of flowering crabapples and cherry blossoms bloom in competition, creating a breathtaking scene.

Transportation Tips

The buses passing near Kunming Yuantong Mountain include: Bus 4, 59, 74, 78, 83, 100, 101, 129, 234, A2, and others. Get off at Yuantong Mountain Station.

Viewing Guide

The renowned “Yuantong Flower Tide” landscape is located in the heart of Yuantong Mountain, encompassing the Kunming Zoo. This region features varied slopes and is distinguished by areas of cherry blossoms and crabapples, forming a lush, continuous forest. Due to their similar blooming seasons and colors, locals often group these two types under the umbrella term “cherry blossoms.”

Cherry blossoms and crabapples have graced the mountain since the 1920s. The area dedicated to these trees has grown substantially, now covering 18,000 square meters. Within this space, you’ll find over 480 Yunnan cherry trees, more than 200 Japanese cherry trees, and over 1,200 weeping crabapple trees. Climbing Yuantong Mountain to admire the blossoms has become a cherished tradition in Kunming, especially on International Women’s Day, when the location transforms into a vibrant spectacle of flowers and visitors. The famous essayist Li Guangtian helped cement the event’s fame with his influential 1963 essay “Flower Tide” in the People’s Daily, which includes the evocative line, “Spring is as vast as the sea, and a prosperous age is like blossoms,” boosting the renown of the “Yuantong Flower Tide” both in China and internationally.

Worldwide, there are over 50 species of wild cherry blossoms, but Yuantong Mountain is primarily home to Yunnan cherries, which originate from wild bitter cherry trees found in Tengchong and Longling. These blossoms bloom between February and March, appearing before the leaves unfurl. They are noted for their double petals, approximately 2.5 centimeters in diameter, and typically grow in umbrella-shaped clusters of 7 to 9 flowers, showcasing a deep pink color.

Nearby Attractions

  • Yuantong Temple is located on Yuantong Street in the downtown area of Kunming and is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Kunming, with a history of over 1,200 years. It is also the largest temple in the city. Yuantong Temple features magnificent architecture and lush greenery, earning it reputations such as “Luofu Peak Embraced by Green” and “Layered Greens of Luofu Peak.” It has long been one of the eight scenic spots in Kunming, resembling a beautiful garden typical of the water towns in the Jiangnan region. Yuantong Temple currently serves as the site for the Yunnan Provincial and Kunming City Buddhist Associations and is an important center of Buddhist culture and a tourist attraction, highly regarded in Southeast Asia.