Shenzhen in Bloom: Flame vines set landscape ablaze at Xiangmi Park

Editor’s note:

Spring is in full swing, which is great news for flower lovers. From adorable trumpet-shaped flowers to delicate cherry blossoms to undulating yellow rapeseed flower carpets, flowering plants adorn Shenzhen all year around, but more prominently in this season. It’s not difficult to find a small sea of flowers in this city with 1,260 parks, and these colorful buds are even ubiquitous along busy streets amid all their hustle and bustle. This series, “Shenzhen in Bloom,” will give a glimpse of these picturesque places to celebrate abundance as well as beauty in the natural world of Shenzhen.

In Shenzhen, the flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta), or commonly called the Chinese cracker flower, while it usually fully blossoms around the Lunar Chinese New Year, delayed its blossoming a bit for this year. Carrying cascades of bright orange tubular flowers, flame vines can be found in almost every neighborhood across the city, creating an often dazzling spectacle. The views are especially spectacular in Xiangmi Park in Futian District, which is said to have the largest clusters of flame vines in the city. Draped along the park’s overhead walkways built for sightseeing and over the top of some building structures, these flaming blossoms grab the limelight despite the fact that the park boasts a wide variety of flowers.

Add: Near the children’s library of Xiangmi Park, Futian District (福田区香蜜公园中部栈道及儿童图书馆)

Metro: Line 7 to Nonglin Station (农林站), Exit C and then walk 400 meters

Flame vines blossom vigorously in Xiangmi Park, Futian District. Photos by Liu Minxia and file photos