The beautiful view of jacaranda avenue on Jiaochang Middle Road. Photo provided by Wen Li, a member of Ningxia Photographers Association 

The May Day holiday hasn't arrived yet, but Jiaochang Middle Road in Kunming is already bustling with people who have come to see the blooming Jacaranda trees. Laughter and chatter filling the air, mixed with the sound of cameras snapping photos.

Two hosts were live broadcasting the beautiful scenery of the blooming Jacaranda trees on Jiaochang Middle Road, allowing netizens from all over the world to embark on a dreamy journey without leaving their homes.  Photo provided by Wen Li, a member of Ningxia Photographers Association 

"I'm Vieng Indavong from Laos, and I'm delighted to be here on this jacaranda avenue to admire Kunming's unique scenery." On the morning of April 27th, the special guest, Vieng Indavong, together with host Ding, started a live broadcast of the blue jacaranda.

As the live broadcast started, they walked along the jacaranda avenue on Jiaochang Middle Road. Vieng was impressed by the painted walls along the road, said "The patterns with bright colors on the walls are very interesting, which are perfect for taking photos." Ding explained that these painted walls, featuring cultural elements such as Jacaranda trees, the "Xingfuhao" bus, and a book pavilion, were prepared as a "surprise" for visitors and citizens who come to enjoy the scenery here.

While enjoying some jacaranda-themed ice cream, the two hosts admired the painted walls along the jacaranda avenue. Photo provided by Wen Li, a member of Ningxia Photographers Association 

Along the road, there are small shops selling cultural and creative products and jacaranda-themed ice cream. When they arrived at the freezer, Vieng asked in fluent Chinese, "Sir, is this ice cream made of Jacaranda petals?" The vendor laughed and patiently explained, "Unlike roses, jacaranda flowers are inedible. These ice creams are designed to look like jacaranda flowers and come in three flavors: grape, blueberry, and milk. However, jacaranda ice cream is a seasonal product and only sold during this time of the year." After hearing this, Vieng suggested they must try it. She chose the blueberry flavor, while Ding picked up the ice cream in the shape of the word "Kunming" on it. "Ice cream is a must-have in summer," said Ding, with Vieng nodding in agreement.

The two hosts encountered a little kid wearing a Champa flower hair accessory. Photo provided by Wen Li, a member of Ningxia Photographers Association 

While enjoying their ice cream, the hosts met a little girl who was also eating ice cream. Vieng immediately noticed the Champa flower hair accessory. "Dear, do you know that this is the national flower of Laos, the Champa flower?" Vieng crouched down and asked softly. The little girl shook her head and said, "The flower is pretty." Vieng took out a Champa flower hair accessory from her pocket and gave it to the little girl to wear on her hair. She said, "I often see children wearing Champa flowers in Kunming, and I feel happy about it. It's not just because I feel familiar with the Champa flower, but also because it shows the friendly relationship between China and Laos, as a Laotian student studying in China, I feel proud."

Near seventy-year-old Grandma Li and her sisters came to see the jacaranda trees. Photo/Rachel 

"Sisters, come over here and take pictures. The flowers here are beautiful," shouted Grandma Li, who is nearly seventy years old, to her good friends. Grandma Li is a native of Kunming and this year she invited friends from other provinces to come and see the jacaranda trees in Kunming. As she said, "I have lived in Kunming all my life and have been to other places, but I can't stay away from Kunming. I just love here." Speaking of the upcoming May Day holiday, Grandma Li immediately recommended Kunming, "Come to see the jacaranda flowers under the blue sky and enjoy the mild climate. You'll know it once you're here!"

"It's really beautiful! If I have the chance, I would definitely bring my family and friends to see the jacaranda trees. Since the China-Laos Railway Cross-border Train has been opened, Laotians can take the train directly to Kunming to visit the jacaranda avenue and experience the life people have been longing for," said Vieng, like Grandma Li, she hoped that more people would come to Kunming, especially friends from Southeast Asian countries. She said that there are few jacaranda trees in Laos and other Southeast Asian countries, so the beauty of these unique purple flowers is something that locals have never seen before.

The two hosts live broadcasted the blooming jacaranda trees along Jiaochang Middle Road, allowing netizens from both inside and outside the country to embark on a dreamy journey online. Photo provided by Wen Li, a member of Ningxia Photographers Association 

After the live broadcast, Vieng told the reporter that she has been in Kunming for eight years and loves everything about it. She said that she has found an ideal life in Kunming. Although she had seen the jacaranda trees on Jiaochang Middle Road before, she was still excited to see them again. She would continue to take more photos of the jacaranda trees and with the IP character "Lanyingying" that is designed with jacaranda elements, and shared them on overseas social media platforms. She believed that although this live broadcast only introduced the beautiful jacaranda trees, she was confident that many people would be willing to visit the whole Kunming after seeing the live broadcast.

The two hosts live broadcasted the blooming jacaranda trees along Jiaochang Middle Road, and the live event was broadcasted simultaneously on multiple platforms. Photo/Rachel 

It is reported that this live broadcast event was simultaneously aired on Kunming Information Hub's Douyin, official Weibo, WeChat video account, and TikTok, Culture and Tourism of KunMing's WeChat video account and Douyin. The event attracted a total of 60,000 viewers and received 23,000 likes, allowed netizens home and abroad to enjoy the beauty of Kunming's jacaranda trees online without leaving their homes, a great publicity event for the upcoming May Day holiday.