A Visit to Beijing Botanical Garden
At Beijing Botanical Garden, we were greeted by sunshine and crowds. It was their annual Peach Blossom Festival and the first warm sunny weekend of spring, so the locals flocked to the Garden to enjoy the day. Everyone needed their photos taken among, literally, the flowering peaches, tulips, and early cherries. Some played badminton or soccer. Others pitched tents to escape the heat of the sun, picnicked, collected tadpoles in a stream, and purchased plastic peach blossom branches as souvenirs. 
It was truly a cultural experience to be among them. Beijing Botanical Garden was founded in 1956, and is focused on conservation of native flora from Northern China. It includes a conservatory, bonsai garden, arboretum, 11 outdoor themed gardens, and nature reserve. The lilac collection is one of the largest in the world with 22 species and cultivars. A breeding program enhances its collection of 70 ornamental peach cultivars, selecting for early bloom and color diversity. The arboretum houses one of the largest conifer collections in China. Bonsai, or Penjing, is an ancient traditional art in China and the Garden’s exhibit includes a gingko that’s over 1,300 years old. 
Its conservation collection of 5000 taxa, of which 1620 accessions are of documented wild origin, also includes a seedbank of over 700 species.
