West Lake Osmanthus Festival Hangzhou

Chinese festivals are very unique just like Chinese civilization and culture. Mainland China celebrates a couple of festivals which are intricately connected with flowers, West Lake Osmanthus Festival, Hangzhou is one of them. It is one of the aromatic festivals if the term can be so coined, for osmanthus are generally sweet smelling and some of the species (there are around thirty) really do have a strong fragrance! The plant flourishes in warm temperate climates and China has conducive climate for the proliferation of the trees or shrubs. Trees of osmanthus flowers are small and rise up to two or two and a half meters in height. Beautiful leaves, evergreen, simple, serrated or with toothy margin makes this plant really pleasing to the eye.

Osmanthus flowers are in bloom during springtime, but you will find osmanthus blooming in summer or autumn too. Many Asian countries where there is warm temperate climate like China, use this plant to decorate parks and gardens. China not only has osmanthus in the gardens the influence of these flowers is apparent in tea too, the Chinese love taking Osmanthus tea. To celebrate the blooming of these flowers, West Lake Osmanthus Festival is the perfect platform.

West Lake Osmanthus Festival, Hangzhou is held in September each year. Generally the middle ten days of the month are selected for holding this festival. There are five regions in or areas in China where osmanthus flowers bloom like Hangzhou, Xianling, Suzhou, Guiling and Hefei. The main attraction of the festival is the sweet osmanthus rain. This is held in Manjueling Village where the main festival is held. On both sides of the road, more than seven thousand osmanthus trees are planted and you will find some very colorful tents on both sides of the road during the festival. Here you can have tea and enjoy osmanthus. The very interesting part of the festival is that it is a combination of osmanthus culture and tea culture of China. The opening of the festival sees dragon well tea courtesy performance. Tea courtesy performances are of six major regional styles. The festival lasts for a month.