Cherry blossoms turn to gold in Fujian

Cherry blossoms in spring attract tourists at the Yongfu Cherry and Tea Scenic Spot of Zhangping, Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

March is the month in which cherry trees with their pink blossom petals lure tourists. It is also peak season for tourism at the Yongfu Cherry and Tea Scenic Spot of Zhangping, Fujian province, an entrepreneurship center for Taiwan people.

In the 1990s, Hsieh Tung-Ching introduced the first cherry tree from Taiwan to Yongfu, which has grown into a sea of flowers and is a popular attraction. "When the cherry trees blossom, more than 10,000 tourists come to see them every day," Hsieh said, adding that the bloom period is from late January to mid-March.

He said rural tourism has great potential on the Chinese mainland. In 2006, Tseng Kuo-Pao began his tea business in the town, to cover planting, processing and exhibition, which have become popular with tourists. He added that revenue grew 50 percent during the cherry cultural and tourism festival on Feb 10, when a lot of tourists came to buy Taiwan snacks and specialties.

Hsieh Yu-Hsuan also joined the festival.

"Tourists like grilled sausage and milk tea from Taiwan, so we are confident," Hsieh Yu-Hsuan said.

The scenic spot received 300,000 tourist visits last year, generating 100 million yuan ($14.48 million) in revenue, according to the local authorities.