A Bit of Ancient Architecture, a Dash of Flower Blossoms, and Voila! It's Spring Time in Beijing!

Well, folks, we did it... we made it through the bleakness of winter and Beijing's best season is right around the corner! And despite the absolutely crushing pollution this week, it’s finally time to throw on a light jacket and enjoy some breezy fresh air and sunshine.

Around much of the city, adorable green buds are already beginning to emerge from bare branches alongside little winter jasmine blossoms. But over the next two months, the quantity, density, and diversity of Beijing’s flora – especially in the capital's iconic parks and scenic spots – will become truly magnificent. In case Spring Festival didn't give it away, Chinese people value this season very much, and have developed family rituals that involve loafing among clusters of flowers and greenery. The practice is so widespread that it's actually been given a vivid name, 踏青 tà qīng, which literally means “tread on the green.”

Moreover, with thousands of years of history, Beijing is home to some of the world's finest architectural achievements, which, as palace and temple grounds tend to do, also house some of the city's finest landscaping. So, with that, here are some of the best places around town to get you "treading on the green" while also drinking in a bit of the capital's legacy.

To begin, here are a few singular destinations where you can while away the days in floral splendor.

Snap a photo of spring in Beihai Park

The Chinese name of winter jasmine, 迎春花 yíng chūn huā, literally means “spring greeting.” As such, when you see these little yellow flowers blooming along the road, it's a sure sign that spring has sprung. For shutterbugs, Beihai Park is a compositional dream, a place where you can capture the bluestone bridge, white dagoba, and yellow winter jasmine all in one beautiful shot. The renowned White Dagoba is a Tibetan-style Lama stupa constructed 370 years ago during the Qing Dynasty, and still stands as on the most well-known landmarks in Beihai Park. As the only park in Beijing that has 海 hǎi ocean in its name, the area is also home to a network of lakes and visitors can rent boats to catch the surrounding area from a unique perspective. After all, nobody can resist those cute duckling boats, right?

Enjoy a flower-filled hike in the Botanical Garden

Did you know that the Beijing Botanical Garden has the largest peach garden in the city? Get up early and lose yourself among thousands of peach trees before the masses descend on the place. Then, take a little rest before trudging uphill to visit Wofosi, a temple dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and famous for a Yuan Dynasty era (1271-1368) bronze-cast Reclining Buddha. Besides peach trees, hundreds of wintersweet shrubs also grow here, providing a delightful fragrance throughout the park. And for an experience that touches on mind, body, and soul, the temple is a popular place to make offerings, as many hear a similarity between the word “wofo” and “offer.” Frankly, we're a bit skeptical as Buddha probably didn't have any knowledge about the English language. Unless of course, he has all the knowledge. Including future knowledge. Ah, anyway, there’s no harm in giving an offering or two, so have at it!

Pretend you’re in Japan 

Although we can’t make it to Japan for hanami – the thousand-year-old Japanese tradition of flower gazing – the next best thing is right in the heart of Beijing’s Haidian District. Yuyuantan Park is home to a sea of 2,000 blooming pink, yellow, and white cherry trees, most of which were diplomatic gifts from Japan in the 1970s. However, take heed, this place gets super crowded on the weekends, so aim for an early morning visit, or better yet, skip work one day and enjoy a little R&R.

Crabapple blossoms and cats abound at the Palace Museum

In a city that changes as much and as often as Beijing, one constant remains: the magnificence of a spring day spent at the Palace Museum, and specifically, at 文华殿 wén huá diàn, or Hall of Literary Brilliance, where crabapple blossoms shine like iridescent clouds in the sky. As the former imperial lecture hall of the Ming and Qing Dynasty, wen hua dian has a 120-year history, and some of the crabapple trees have been there since day one. Although any jaunt through this area is gorgeous, perhaps the best route to take in the crabapple blossoms is entering through the east gate, 东华门 dōng huá mén (East Prosperity Gate), of the Palace Museum and strolling west to wen hua dian. What's more, if you're particularly lucky you might even spot one of the famous Palace cats stalking behind a wall or pillar. Though somewhat rare and definitely not approachable, laying eyes on one of these cuties is the icing on the cake of an otherwise perfect day.

Next, here are a few of Beijing's most common flowers and the best places to find them:

Winter Jasmine 迎春花 yíng chūn huā

Beihai Park, Zhongshan Park, Jingshan Park, Ming Dynasty Wall Relics Park, East Second Ring City Greenway 

Magnolia 玉兰花 yù lán huā

Chang’an Jie, Summer Palace, Tanzhe Temple, Dajue Temple, Beijing International Sculpture Park

Plum blossoms/wintersweet 梅花 méi huā

Ming Dynasty Wall Relics Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, Xiangshuihu Great Wall

Peach blossoms 桃花 táo huā

Beijing Botanical Garden, Beihai Park, Pinggu Taohuahai

Cherry blossoms 樱花 yīng huā

Yuyuantan Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, Shunyi Gengdan Academy

Lilac 丁香花 dīng xiāng huā

Fayuan Temple, Jietai Temple, Tiantan Park 

Crabapple blossoms 海棠花 hǎi táng huā

Yuan Dynasty City Wall Relics Park, Former Residence Of Song Qingling, Wenhua dian of the Palace Museum,

Apricot blossoms 杏花 xìng huā

Tiantan Park, Badaling Great Wall, Juyongguan & Line S2, Pinggu’s Beizhaicun

Pear blossoms 梨花 lí huā

Gugong Chengqiangong, Zhihua Temple, Daxing Liyuan, Pinggu’s Lihuadadao

Tulip 郁金香 yù jīn xiāng

Zhongshan Park, Beijing Botanical Garden, Shunyi International Flower Port

Peony 牡丹花 mǔ dān huā

Jingshan Park, Jietai Temple, Garden of Cininggong in Palace Museum

Chinese parasol tree flower/Firmiana Simplex 梧桐花 wú tóng huā

The Wutong Boulevard in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Nanmofang Lu, Chegongzhuang Dajie

READ: A Museum Opened by a Primary School Drop-Out Filled With Antiques and... Cats?

Images: easytourchina.com, Palace Museum, Yuyuantan Park, visitbeijing.com.cn