Luoyang Peony Festival!

Follow up on part one of my Luoyang visit! You can see my post about the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, another beautiful site to see in the area :)

Did you know that for a long time the Peony was actually China's official national flower? And it started right here in Luoyang, where the Peony was the flower of kings and noblemen.   Now, there are many types of Peonies grown in the gardens of Luoyang, and those gardens are opened up to visitors during the annual Peony Festival!  

Every year from the middle of April until the middle of May, the Peonies bloom and visitors from around the world come to check them out.  The festival itself is during the peak time, usually April 15-25, when the flowers are at their most stunning.  

There are many, many Peony gardens you can see, for example the Luoyang National Peony Garden (it was too busy so our tour bus couldn't reach it; we checked out another garden) is said to be the very best.  But there are many others you can see, like the one we visited. It was much smaller, but still breathtaking!

You can reach Luoyang via Train (approximately 4 hours from Beijing and 8 hours from Shanghai) or by Flight, and the price to the gardens isn't too bad. There are lots of hotels and restaurants to check out, and many other sightseeing activities for your family :)