During the recent Qingming holiday, the streets of Gangcheng district of Jinan were adorned with the fragrant blossoms of peach and pear trees, creating a lively springtime atmosphere. The opening of the second Yanzhuang Pear Blossom Tourism Culture Festival and the twenty-first Wenyuan Peach Culture Tourism Festival ignited the cultural and tourism market of Gangcheng of Jinan, attracting numerous visitors from all over to explore the city's unique offerings. The vibrancy of the "festival economy" was palpable, spreading warmth and excitement throughout the city.
Using flowers as a medium, the combination of "rural areas + festivals" unleashed vitality. As spring flowers bloomed to welcome visitors, new countryside landscapes enchanted guests. Within the century-old pear orchards of Budong Village, hundreds of acres of pear blossoms competed for attention. The Pear Blossom Festival offered immersive experiences within the orchard, including theatrical performances, artistic shows, NPC interactions for prize draws, traditional marketplaces, and agricultural product exhibitions, attracting over 60,000 visitors.
Meanwhile, the peach blossoms along the ten-mile stretch of Wenyuan Street also dazzled with their vibrant hues. The Peach Blossom Festival featured exciting activities such as the kite carnivals, and double-decker open-air flower carriages, drawing more than 80,000 visitors to capture memorable moments.
Both festivals combined elements of "Chinese culture" with commerce, fostering a "festival economy" that integrated flower viewing tourism, leisure entertainment, and income generation. According to statistics, during the festival period, Gangcheng of Jinan received over 140,000 visitors, generating an economic income of over 1.42 million yuan. Market vitality and consumer potential continued to surge.
In fact, even before the flower viewing season arrived, Lantou Village, Yanzhuang Street, was bustling with activity, receiving a flurry of orders and facing high demand for accommodations. During the festival, activities centered around the venue, driving rapid growth in surrounding services such as dining, lodging, and fruit picking. The turnover from Pear Blossom Festival merchandise, agricultural products, and children's amusement facilities exceeded 240,000 yuan, while surrounding dining and lodging businesses saw an increase in revenue of over 350,000 yuan during the festival period. The owner of a pear orchard farmhouse in Budong Village, Xu, stated, "I receive more than 20 tables of guests every day, with daily revenue exceeding 8,000 yuan." Wang, a vendor at the market fair, remarked, "I brought over 100 kilograms of fruit ingredients, and they sold out within the morning; I couldn't keep up with demand!"
"There's a wide range of activities to enjoy, from flower viewing in the fields, flying kites, to picking fresh fruits and vegetables, and having picnics and barbecues at the homestays," said visitor Li, who brought their whole family to enjoy the holiday to the fullest.
The Pear Blossom Festival and Peach Blossom Festival, using flowers as a bridge, have created a festival economy that integrates sightseeing, entertainment, and ecological leisure, igniting rural tourism and boosting local income. Gangcheng of Jinan will continue to expand its path of development in "new cultural tourism, new consumption, new scenarios, and new formats," growing and enhancing the brand of characteristic cultural activities, illuminating the city's cultural tourism economy and elevating its urban vitality.