Kunming Botanical Garden: "Alice's Wonderland"
Photo by Xu Jun from People's Daily
"One feels like summer, while the other feels like autumn, but they can always turn winter into spring." This line of lyrics contains the wonders of the sunny Spring City and depicts the changing seasons on a day in Kunming Botanical Garden.
Holding onto sweetgum leaves that turn red in February, you can come across lush green forests and stroll along Sweetgum Avenue. Do you want autumn and winter or spring and summer? This guide allows you to experience the most beautiful seasons.
Sweetgum Avenue
The sweetgum leaves along Sweetgum Avenue turn a vibrant red. With more than 2,500 sweetgum trees lining the nearly 1,000-meter avenue, each tree displaying autumn colors, the scene paints a spectacular picture. Whenever the wind blows, the sweetgum leaves fall like a rain of romantic colors.
The most mesmerizing thing is camping amidst the sweetgum forest. With a simple tent, a camping table, and chairs, every moment spent here becomes incredibly fascinating. Sunlight shines through colorful trees, and each step in the forest feels like dancing to a rhythmic beat, instantly brightening your mood.
Fuligong Greenhouses
Photo by Xu Jun from People's Daily
As the outdoor exhibition area for the COP15 in 2021, Fuligong Greenhouses quickly gained popularity with its more than 2,500 exotic plants. It includes the Main Greenhouse, Orchid Hall, Insectivorous Plant Hall, etc.
The Main Greenhouse consists of tropical aquatic plants, tropical fruits, tropical rainforests, etc, housing more than 1,800 plant species.
Entering the Seed Museum, you will be drawn to the magnificent seed wall with 2,040 acrylic columns filled with seeds in various shapes and forms.
Main Entrance
Whether you are going to Sweetgum Avenue or Fuligong Greenhouses, currently there is only one entrance: the Main Entrance. However, people often ignore the fact that there is a "summer" and an "autumn" hidden on both sides of the Main Entrance.
The ginkgo trees have already turned golden yellow. Leaves cover the ground on a slight slope adjacent to a two-meter green grass field. Although the forest is not large, it still attracts many visitors. Some lay out picnic mats for a leisurely picnic, while others choose this place for romantic wedding photos.
Kunming Botanical Garden also has an "East Garden." The peak of its popularity is in May when the giant allium flowers bloom in the global onion garden.
In addition to red sweetgum and ginkgo trees, metasequoia is also one of the most stunning autumn sceneries. The metasequoia can be seen throughout the East Garden, some reflecting on the lake and others forming charming forest paths.
Photo by Xu Jun from People's Daily
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(Editors: Ines, Amy)