With Spring Festival approaching, now is the perfect time to visit Yantian’s Enshang Wetland Park and enjoy the blooming Chinese New Year flower.

Regarded as a traditional festive flower in Guangdong, it takes its name from its flowering period, which usually aligns with the Lunar New Year in late January or February.

Seniors perform a dance to mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year flower blooming season on Feb. 6.

The Chinese New Year flower (Enkianthus quinqueflorus), a symbol of good fortune, blooms on shrubs or small trees native to southern and central China, as well as northern Vietnam. Often called the “pink chandelier” for its abundant hanging clusters, its blossoms range from white to various shades of pink. Records of the flower can be found in the “Xin’an County Almanacs” from the late Ming Dynasty (1368‑1644).

Enshang Wetland Park is home to around 500,000 wild Chinese New Year flower shrubs.

The wetland park, located within Shenzhen’s Wutong Mountain area, is home to around 500,000 wild Chinese New Year flower shrubs, forming a spectacular sea of blooms.

On the morning of Feb. 6, an official ceremony launched this year’s flowering season of the beloved bell‑shaped blooms.

The event featured dance performances by seniors, calligraphers writing Spring Festival couplets for visitors, a display of the folk art zanhua (wearing fresh flowers in the hair), and the release of an original theme song for the flower season.

Yantian authorities are accepting photographs taken in the park for a contest that will run until April.

Visitors may also encounter black swans at Enshang Wetland Park.

A designated shuttle bus transports visitors from the Acotown Hotel near Metro Line 8’s Exit B, or from the Yantian Government East bus stop, to the entrance of Enshang Wetland Park.

A more strenuous option is to hike from Enshang Road or via the parallel trail through Yuanyang Valley up to the park.

Visitors are reminded not to litter, pick flowers, or light fires during their stay.