The Nyingchi Peach Flower Festival (1/8)

The Gala village in Nyingchi is a popular choice for those wanting to enjoy the peach flowers. While the mountains afar are still covered with snow, peach flowers are already in full blossom. Peach trees dot the cornfields on the mountainside along the Nyang river. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/ Xia Jixuan]

The first Nyingchi Peach Flower Festival was held in 2002 and is now a famous local festival. The Gala village in Nyingchi is a popular choice for those wanting to enjoy the peach flowers. While the mountains afar are still covered with snow, peach flowers are already in full blossom. Peach trees dot the cornfields on the mountainside along the Nyang river. The Nyingchi Peach Valley is bordered by mountains on three sides. Rivers stream down from the mountaintop, sided by numerous peach trees. The view is a feast for the eyes, whether seen from afar or close by. The fully bloomed peach flowers stretch on for miles surrounded by mountains, resembling a sea of red clouds.

This year's opening ceremony for the Gala Peach Flower Festival will be followed by the Serfs Emancipation Day, an annual event which attracts many local villagers and tourists. During the peach flower festival, tourists take photos of the brightly-colored peach flowers using both professional cameras and cellphones. The villagers put on their richest clothes. Some perform traditional archery, some play cards and have a chat, and some even sit under the peach trees, enjoying sunshine and the fragrance of the flowers. Several of the more creative kids choose to have some fun by sliding down a grass-covered slope.