“Blossom chasers” in China are fueling a booming blossom economy, bringing new business opportunities for young travellers.
As spring comes, numerous “blossom chasers” travel across China to embrace a romantic date with blossoms. This trend has given rise to the blossom economy.
In Miji Village, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, nearly 1,000 mu of cherry blossoms blanket the mountains, drawing flocks of tourists.
Zhang Guoxiang drove specially to enjoy the flowers. He said, “These cherry blossoms are so healing. I’ll take plenty of photos to remember this moment.”
A growing number of “blossom chasers” like Zhang are fueling the boom of the blossom economy.
On Muniao Homestay, a short-term homestay platform, searches related to spring outings have risen 370% per month since March.
Meanwhile, low‑altitude blossom viewing has become a highlight of this trend. In Huatian Meidi, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, rapeseed flowers, plums and tulips are in full bloom. Tourists can take sightseeing helicopters or small trains to overlook the flower sea.
Diverse Blossom Chasing Experiences
Now “blossom chasers” have more diverse and creative ways to enjoy blooming flowers.
In Baicao No.2 Community, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, melodious guqin music drifts across golden flower fields. Dai Haimin, a guqin teacher, sits on the ground with her students among the blooms, playing melodies of spring.
“Students experience music in the sea of flowers, and tourists enjoy the blooms with music. This immersive experience is truly unique,” Dai said.
In Gui’an Cherry Garden in Guizhou, more than 700,000 cherry trees are blooming. Inside the park, roadside concerts, Tunpu Di Opera shows, and traditional Chinese-style parades take place in turn.
Amid falling cherry blossoms, visitors can admire flowers and watch performances at the same time.
In Chengdu, Sichuan, the flower field hotpot is available for a limited time. Dining tables are set right in the rapeseed flower fields, allowing visitors to enjoy hotpot while viewing the blossoms.
When dining beside the flower fields, tourists can taste flower yoghurt or take home some flower essential oil soaps.
Blossom Tours Boost Spring Consumption
Driven by Blossom tours, China’s spring economy keeps warming up.
Different from traditional spring consumption, the new consumer group, dominated by young people, focuses on pleasing themselves.
In the Qingxiushan Scenic Area in Nanning, Guangxi, many photographers with cameras guide clients to pose among flowers. “We’ll shoot until you’re satisfied.” They shouted.
“Competition is intense this flower season. Most photographers use AI retouching tools for fast on-site photo output, plus short highlight videos. This perfectly meets young people’s need to share instantly on social media,” said Anton, a photographer in Nanning.
Booking for spring photo shoots surges 80% during the flower season. Popular styles include “spring atmosphere” and “girlish style”. Photographers can earn several hundred yuan a day on weekends.
Spring-themed catering is also popular among young people.
A coffee shop in Nanning has created a spring garden scene, offering limited spring items. The shop offers a variety of cuisines, including matcha cake, pistachio speciality coffee, and green cake coconut drinks. These light, low-fat, low-sugar products cater to young consumers’ preferences.
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by CNS and Ecns.cn.
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