On December 30, it was announced that the 37th Camellia Festival of Jindian Mountain, hosted by Kunming's Jindian Scenic Resort, will open on January 1, 2025. This year's festival, themed "Blessings from the Snake, Camellias in Bloom," will feature new exhibition formats, visual effects, and event highlights for visitors to enjoy.

This year's Camellia Festival continues the tradition of showcasing exquisite camellias. The exhibition spans the Taihe Palace Gate, Lingxing Gate, and the Copper Culture Corridor, covering over 600 acres with potted and ground-planted camellias, totaling nearly 400,000 plants. Under the oil pine forest, with the morning light filtering through, the camellia forest creates a tranquil scene, with thousands of trees in bloom—a breathtaking sight. Early-blooming varieties include "Zaomudan," "Mudankui," "Juban," "Zaotaohong," "Xuejiao," and "FenTongcao," with flowering from late December to January. These can be viewed at the Camellia Garden Reception Area, Taihe Palace, and Copper Culture Square. Most traditional varieties, such as "Zhusha Zipao," "Shizitou," "Dali Cha," "Songzilin," and "Manao," bloom from mid-January to mid-February. These are displayed at the Camellia Garden, Taihe Palace, and Copper Culture Square. Late-blooming varieties, including "Hentiangao" and "Tongzimian," bloom in March and can be viewed at the Camellia Garden.

At present, many varieties of camellia are opening according to their own climatic rhythm, and the flowering period will last from 1 January, when the Camellia Festival opens, to the end of March, with the best flowering period around the Spring Festival. During this period, more than 1,200 varieties of camellias imported from all over the world will bring the warmth and colour of spring with incomparable splendour to the cold winter.

As an "International Camellia Garden of Excellence" awarded by the International Camellia Society, the Jindian Scenic Resort will welcome thousands of visitors from all over the world. The unique features of the Camellia Garden, along with its primary planting species—the Yunnan camellia group—will captivate visitors with their large, vibrant flowers and a wide variety of stunning blooms, drawing people to stop and linger in admiration.

There are 3 major highlights during the Camellia Festival:

First is the exhibition and sales market for exquisite camellias during the festival. A total of 335 unnamed camellia seedlings, introduced from Nujiang, Yuxi, and other regions, will be planted and showcased to visitors in the upper section of the Camellia Garden. The Fengcai Nursery from Panlong District, Kunming, will also display and sell high-quality camellias and azaleas at the Camellia Garden Square.

Time: January 29 to February 6, 2025 (from the first to the ninth day of the Lunar New Year)

Location: Camellia Garden Square.

Second is the educational activities on camellia cultivation, propagation, and care. A volunteer science popularization team consisting of technical experts from the Jindian Scenic Resort will hold two sessions at the Camellia Garden Square, a popular area for visitors. The events will take place on the third day of the Lunar New Year (January 31, 2025) and International Women's Day (March 8, 2025). They will include practical demonstrations, informative displays, and the distribution of materials to educate citizens, tourists, and young people on camellia cultivation, propagation, and care.

Third is the educational program on the scientific knowledge of Camellia chrysantha (golden camellia) and the culture of traditional tea and flower beverages. The scenic area will collaborate with Yunnan Lingse Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. and China Classical Culture Export Organization to explore the scientific aspects of golden camellia plants and the culture of Chinese traditional tea and flower drinks. The program will include workshops on golden camellia science and traditional tea ceremonies, and will be open for recruitment of both youth and adults.

Time: January 18, 2025 (13:30-17:00)

Location: Jindian Heritage Area and Camellia petelotii Greenhouse

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(Editors: Reena, Amy)