For many Shanghai residents, wandering in a sea of pink has become an annual routine during April's peach blossom festival. But this year the festival has something different to offer - a night tour in the peach blossom garden.

The Xinchang Peach Garden, which occupies about 67 hectares, has been decorated with colorful lanterns in various shapes, so that visitors can enjoy the flowers under the illuminations at night.

Lu Yunfeng, the garden's director, says that the canals crisscrossing the garden add another dimension, as the garden is located in the Xinchang Ancient Watertown.

"We have lanterns, streams and peach blossoms, and hope that visitors can experience a special festival," Lu says.

Some of the glowing lamps are shaped like dragons and phoenixes to represent prosperity, or cranes and pines that symbolizing longevity in Chinese tradition. Others are based on characters of stories like the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Visitors can row a boat along the water channels to view the flowers and lanterns along the bank.

Since the peach blossom is seen as a symbol of love in China, courting couples can enjoy a sweet escape on a romantic night tour, listening to the flow of water amid the mass of pink blossoms.

Traditional performances are also staged during the festival, such as leather-silhouette shows and folk customs of marriage in rural Shanghai.

Out-of-town visitors can stay at the homes of local residents, many of whom offer paid accommodation during peach-blossom season.

The daytime landscape, of course, is worth of visiting, too. The yellow cole flowers, baby-pink-and-white pear blossoms and the green wheat fields form a colorful background of the pink.

The Xinchang Ancient Watertown, where the garden is located, is the last well-preserved ancient water town around the city. It has a history of more than 800 years and ancient architecture that covering about 150,000 square meters.

wuni@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/07/2013 page15)