Beijing blooms with flowers and lanterns

Beijing’s floral and lantern program extends beyond Tian'anmen and Chang’an Avenue into major parks, squares and neighborhood streets, creating layered attractions for different types of visitors. Parks across the city are filled with osmanthus and chrysanthemums, and seasonal exhibitions include themed arrangements, sculpted plant forms and walk-through displays designed for family visits and photography. Organizers report over 100,000 square meters of planted flowerbeds and more than 10,000 flower boxes deployed citywide, with more than 40 named floral displays completed so far.

Themed motifs recur across installations: the Chinese rose highlights Beijing’s civic identity; lotus and peony motifs reference beauty and progress; olive branches and doves symbolize peace. Several displays explicitly echo historical commemorations and national development themes, while others emphasize traditional festival elements — lanterns, moon motifs and communal gatherings — aimed at blending patriotic and cultural symbolism.

Event programming runs alongside the static displays. Lantern fairs, nighttime light installations and garden-party events are staged to extend visitor engagement into evenings; one major lantern event at Beijing World Park will showcase tens of thousands of lanterns and immersive lights. Municipal authorities coordinated planting, maintenance and lighting teams to ensure displays remain vibrant throughout the holiday period, with completion of major installations slated before the peak travel days.

Local businesses and tourism operators are preparing for increased foot traffic, offering themed food stalls, pop-up markets and guided routes that link key displays along the city’s central axis. Public transport and crowd-management plans have been adjusted to handle anticipated visitor flows around core areas. City messaging emphasizes both festive enjoyment and orderly visitation, encouraging residents and tourists to visit parks and public squares to view the displays while complying with venue guidance.

Photographers and social-media users have amplified the decorations’ reach, sharing images that highlight both the scale of the installations and close-up details of floral sculptures. The combined use of daytime blooms and nighttime lanterns aims to sustain tourist interest across the holiday stretch, offering different visual experiences at various hours. Overall, the coordinated display of flowers, sculptures and lights is being positioned by authorities as a central element of the season’s public celebrations.