Spring is the time of rebirth and renewal. After a long period of sleeping in winter, everything comes to life again in spring. And Nyingchi, the “Jiangnan of Tibet”, is no exception as well. With the appearance of peach blossoms, Nyingchi becomes a pinky heaven in spring, proudly showing its unique charms to the world. Thousands of tourists from home and abroad have been attracted here just for having a look at the romantic peach blossom sea.
March to May is the blooming period of peach blossoms and that’s the time when you can go to Nyingchi to enjoy the beautiful scenery here. Generally speaking, peach blossoms begin to bloom in early March, and they will be in full bloom in April. And finally they will wither away in May. The blooming period of flowers in different areas is not the same, as it will be influenced by different terrain conditions, local weather and climate and some other factors.
The rule for the blooming period of flowers is as follow: Flowers in low-altitude region begin to bloom earlier than those in high-altitude region; Flowers in warm region begin to bloom earlier than those in cold region; the more sunshine flowers get, the earlier they begin to bloom.
When people talk about the place to see peach blossoms in Nyingchi, Gala Village would always be the first place that come to their mind. Gala Village is about 10km from Bayi Town and 40km from Nyingchi Mainling Airport. There are hundreds of wild and big peach trees growing in the valley, making Gala Village the most popular among tourists. As the village is not far away from downtown Nyingchi, it is very convenient for tourists to get there.
Bomi Peach Blossom Valley is the place where you can see the largest amount of peach blossoms in Bomi County. It is a 50km valley stretching from Qingduo Town to Xumu Village. When you are driving along the valley, you can see beautiful peach blossoms on both sides and you will feel you are in a pinky world. There are various of peach blossoms here, and you can easily take pictures of them while walking along the valley.
The Airport Highway from Mainling Airport to Bayi Town was built along the valley of Nyang River. The rich water resource provides sufficient nutrition for the peach trees, so when you take the airport bus to get to Bayi Town from the airport, you can also see many wild peach blossoms greeting to you along the way.
If you plan to go to Tibet via Sichuan-Tibet Highway - 318 National Road, you should definitively set off in April, as you can see a most beautiful Nyingchi during this period. When you reach Ranwu Lake, it means that you have stepped onto the land of Nyingchi. Then you can slow up when you are driving through this region, so that you can pleasantly enjoy the peach blossoms on both sides.
Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is another good place to see peach blossoms in Nyingchi. In spring, not only the banks of the canyon, but also the villages around will be surrounded by peach blossoms. Besides, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is a perfect location to see the Namjagbrawa Peak as well. So if you travel to Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in spring, you can both enjoy the charming peach blossoms and see the majestic Namjagbrawa Peak.
Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival, held between mid-march and early April, is the biggest festival in Nyingchi as well as one of the most important festivals in Tibet. It is held to attract more travelers to enjoy the beauty of peach blossoms there and discover the spectacular culture of Nyingchi. During the Peach Blossom Festival, you can not only enjoy the pleasant views of peach blossoms, but can also experience many interesting local activities organized by local organizations and governments, such as the photography contest of peach flowers, horse racing, archery and stone-carrying competition.
Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival was firstly held on March 15th, 2003. The opening date of Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival is not fixed, as it depends on the blooming season of peach blossoms in the year. But mostly the festival starts from mid-March.
Although the weather is warm in Nyingchi in spring, it is still cold in some high-altitude places. Besides, temperature difference between day and night is relatively huge in Tibet. Therefore, you should bring sufficient thermal clothes such as down jackets, coats and sweaters to against the coldness. For more information about the weather and climate in Nyingchi, please read related article on our website.
Due to the special terrain conditions and special weather, you will arrive at Nyingchi in the morning. Once you get off the plane, you can get to Bayi Town via either highway or provincial road. Along the way you can enjoy peach blossoms on the banks of Nyang River. If you want to make stopovers to take pictures of peach blossoms, you should go to Bayi Town via the provincial road. While if you want to head for Gala Village or Bomi Peach Blossom Valley as quickly as possible, you should chose the highway. After arriving at Bayi Town, you can go eastward along the 318 National Road to go to Bomi Peach Blossom Valley. But before reaching Bomi Peach Blossom Valley, you will pass through Gala Village, Sejila Mountain Pass and Lulang Forest.
The distance from Mainling Airport to Gala Village is about 40km, around an hour’s drive. And the distance between Gala Village and Bomi Peach Blossom Valley is 200km, about 5 hours’ drive (because there is speed limit on the 318 National Road). It will take at least two days to complete a journey to and fro between Mainling Airprot and Bomi Peach Blossom Valley.
Once you arrive at Lhasa by flights or trains, you can take a car or bus to get to Bayi Town via the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway. Because of its low altitude, lush vegetation, and high oxygen content in the air, Nyingchi is usually chosen as the first stop for a Tibet tour. The distance between Lhasa and Bayi Town is about 520km, around 6 hours’ drive.
Just like the journey between Mainling Airport and Bomi Peach Blossom Valley, it still takes at least two days to complete a journey to and fro between Lhasa and Nyingchi. If you want to see the magnificent peach blossoms at Bomi Peach Blossom Valley, the time will be increased to four days.
If you chose the Sichuan-Tibet Highway or Yunnan-Tibet Highway to get to Nyingchi, the first stop where you can see peach blossoms is Bomi Peach Blossom Valley. You will feel you are in a fairyland and all the fatigue will disappear once you see the peach blossoms along the way. One last thing, don’t forget to bring professional equipment to take perfect photos of peach blossoms.
Although rhododendrons in Nyingchi are not as famous as its peach blossoms, they are no less beautiful than the peach blossoms. If you miss the peach blossoms in spring in Nyingchi, you can still see the bloody-red rhododendrons there in May and June. Among the places along the 318 National Road, Sejila Mountain is the one of the best spots for you to enjoy the flowers. Area of the mountain is about 1000km2, yet you can find 25 species of rhododendrons in the mountain.
The climate in the valley of Nyang River is warm and humid, which is suitable for the growing of canola flowers. Flowering of canola flowers in other places is spring, between April and June. Yet due to its high altitude, the blooming period of canola flowers in Nyingchi is July. When you drive along the 318 National Road to Gongbo'gyamda County in July, you can see fields of canola flowers along the way, which add more hues to this snowy plateau.
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