WUSHAN, CHINA 14 March 2024 – A picturesque view is unfolding in Wushan County, a scenic city along the Yangtze River in west China’s Chongqing Municipality. The sixth Three Gorges (Wushan) Plum Flower Festival of the Yangtze River opened on March 12, which seeks to enhance the Three Gorges’ appeal to tourists with the refreshing blossoms.
The history of planting Wushan crisp plum could be traced to the Tang and Song dynasties over a thousand years ago. At present, the planting area of crisp plum in Wushan is 300,000 mu, covering an altitude of 175 meters to 800 meters.
Now the plum blossoms are gradually in full bloom, with a blossoming period lasting from mid-March to mid-April. Large swathes of plum blossoms make the mountains look snow-capped, creating a glamorous scene along the banks of the Yangtze River.
Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. In recent years, Wushan County has taken an array of steps to protect local environment and develop crisp plum into a pillar industry. Through variety breeding and technical improvement, the county has lifted the quality and planting scale of crisp plum, gaining the fame as China’s crisp plum hub.
Crispy plum is just a representative of many ecological “gold mines” in Wushan.
In recent years, Wushan County has launched a land greening promotion campaign focusing on planting red-leaf tree species on both sides of the Yangtze River, which not only restored the local ecology, but also made the region’s red-leaf trees more concentrated and contiguous.
Wushan International Red Leaf Festival has been held for 17 consecutive sessions, and has become an important event to showcase the achievements of ecological development along the Yangtze River.
Nowadays, a comprehensive transportation hub is in place in east Chongqing, Wushan, which consists of an airport, a high-speed railway, the waterways of the Yangtze River, several expressways and a tourism loop route.
Wushan Airport has opened 10 routes, while the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed trains make a stop at Wushan station 43 times a day.
In Wushan, convenient transport and handy shuttle services enable tourists to enjoy fast travel and a leisurely time.
