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.
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."
