Tourism takes flight over blossoming countryside

As spring sweeps across most of China, temperatures are rising and people are eager to embark on journeys to witness stunning floral spectacles.

The growing popularity of flower-viewing tourism has given a vibrant boost to the springtime economy, with modern technology playing an important role in driving this trend.

Adding vibrancy

From late March to April, vast fields across China's countryside are carpeted in dazzling yellow rapeseed flowers, creating breathtaking landscapes.

Social media comes alive with photos of people adorned with flower garlands, celebrating the season's charm. However, the yellow blossoms in Jiangxi province are part of a colorful display, with cherry pink, peach red, snow white and light purple blooms coming as a painting from nature's palette.

These multicolored flowers are the result of 11 years of research by Fu Donghui, a professor at Jiangxi Agricultural University. His team has cultivated a wide range of species in 75 colors. The widespread popularity of "bloom chasing" photos online years ago made Fu realize that the sea of rapeseed flowers had the potential to become a signature tourism attraction. However, the single yellow color could lead to aesthetic fatigue, limiting the industry's growth.

Since 2014, Fu has used genetic engineering and hybrid breeding to create new colors, such as introducing the purple gene from radishes into rapeseed flowers.

The tech-enhanced blooms have revitalized local tourism, transforming scenic spots featuring the colorful rapeseed flowers into popular photography destinations. Visitors flock to these vibrant landscapes, feeling as if they have stepped into a Chinese version of Monet's Garden.

Fu's team has forged cooperation with over 100 scenic spots for scientific demonstration planting, boosting rapeseed flower-themed tourism in over 20 provinces.

These genetically engineered flowers offer more than just a visual feast. They make real contributions to the industrial economy, as they have been proven to yield higher rapeseed production as well as oil output.

Rapeseed is one of China's primary oilseed crops, with its annual planting area and total production ranking among the highest globally.