Beijing Lilac Blossoms Day Tour

The lilac trees are in bloom in spring. The flowers are 5–10 mm in diameter with a four-lobed corolla. The usual flower colour is a shade of purple, but white and pale pink are also found. In China lilac flowers are often found in buddhist temples, a symbol of purity.

Pick up from your hotel in Beijing around 9:00am and head to Jietai Temple. It's a Buddhist temple in Mentougou District in western Beijing. It was first built during the Tang dynasty, with several big renovations made during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is a renowned Buddhist temple in China as well as a famous tourist resort . The temple is also quite famous for its ancient trees. There are over 2000 old trees. Two of the ancient trees are over 200 years old. Most of the lilac flowers are white in colour. The purple lilac blossoms are quite few. The lilac trees here are about 5 meters high, 6-8 meter in diameter. The legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor once visited Jietai Temple. Later he ordered the transplantation of some lilac trees from the Old Summer Palace to Jietai Temple. Now every April the temple will hold a lilac festival to celebrate the springtime.

Then return to the downtown Beijing to visit Fayuan Temple. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Beijing, lying in the Xuanwumen area in the southwest of the city proper of Beijing. It has an area of 6,700 square meters. The temple was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) by Li Shimin (Tang Emperor Taizong) to commemorate officers and soldiers dead in battles. Now it is the site of the Chinese Buddhist Academy. The temple is also famed for its lilac gardens, known as the Sea of Fragrant Snow. Each year, when the lilac trees come into bloom, the monks will hold vegetarian banquets attended by the celebrities of their day. It seems that lilac is closely linked to literature. In the past the monk would invite famous poets, scholars, historian to gather in the temple for Poetry Recitation while appreciating the flowers. In 1914, the famous poet - Wang Kaiyun sponsored a 100-poet "Lilac Poetry Gathering" here in the temple. O­n April 26, 1924, the poet Xu Zhimo with Tagore, the great Indian poet, came to visit the ancient temple to appreciate the lilac. Now "Lilac Poetry Gatheringis" is applying for the National Intangible Cultural heritage.

Finally contimue to visit Temple of Heaven. Temple of Heaven ( Tiantan ) is located in the southern part of Beijing, and has been one of the most holy places for the whole country for more than five centuries. It used as a complex of sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is the largest one in Beijing among several royal altars to Heaven, Earth, the Sun, the Moon and other deities or symbolic forces of Nature. In the lilac garden of Temple of Heaven, you can wnjoy White lilacs. After the whole day tour, return to your downtown hotel.

Pricing Person ( Cost: in US$ per person )