Longqian Peach Blossoms

On Wednesday I went with my friends to Longqian to the Peach Blossom Festival. It's a city about 25 minutes from our house. This time of year the surrounding area is full of peach trees in full bloom. You take a winding road up into the mountains and all along the roadside are hundreds of peach trees terraced on the mountainside. We made this trip the first week in March but were too early to take advantage of the trees blooming. The trees were budding but not yet ready to open their blooms so we decided to make a return trip. It was well worth the return.

The area comes to life this time of year. The residents go all out for the visitors. Everywhere you look there are little tea patios and outdoor eateries set up. Vendors sell flower headbands, rice candy, nuts, kites, strawberries, noodles. You name it, they are selling it. All along the mountain road there are decorations for the festival and people standing by the side of the road trying to direct you into their tea house or eatery.

We enjoyed a day of strolling along the hillside through the peach trees. Later we went back to an outdoor patio area where we played mahjong and drank tea, enjoying the beautiful day and the wonderful people of the village.

We went back down the mountain and ate lunch in a streetside eatery in town. It was a beautiful spring day, sunshine and all!