Shenzhen in Bloom: Golden trumpet trees grab attention throughout the city

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.

Golden trumpet trees (Tabebuia chrysantha), which are bursting in blossoms in Shenzhen, have become the latest traffic stopper across the city. In parks and along many streets and roads, their bright-colored blossoms are standing out against the clear sky and the high-rises that are often in cool colors.

Even a single tree can attract the attention of passers-by, with its rounded, spreading yellow canopy constituted entirely of flowers, as all foliage drops from the trees just before they put on their heaviest flowering display.

The trees, which originated in South America, usually blossom for half a month in the warm March temperatures in Shenzhen, although some trees produce a small number of flowers sporadically throughout the warm season.

Currently, golden trumpet trees that have entered full bloom may be seen along Qianhai Road, near the Coastal City shopping mall in Nanshan District and Shenzhen Book City Nanshan Store, BYD Co.’s Kengzi factory in Pingshan District and along Longhua Boulevard in Longhua District.

Places to admire flowering golden trumpet trees:

①Venue: Qianhai Road (前海路)

Metro: Line 1 to Daxin Station (大新站), Exit A or B

②Venue: the pedestrian overpass in front of Coastal City, Nanshan District (海岸城购物中心•人行天桥)

Metro: Lines 2 or 11 to Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E2

③Venue: BYD Co., Kengzi, Pingshan District (坪山区坑梓比亚迪)

Metro: Line 14 to Shatian Station (沙田站), Exit C

④Venue: Longhua Boulevard, Longhua District (龙华区龙华大道•观澜天虹马路对面)

Metro: Line 4 to Guanlan Station (观澜站), Exit A

Blossoming golden trumpet trees along Qianhai Road. Photos courtesy of Wechat account "shsz0755"