Joy, peace, liveliness in a festive atmosphere

Grand Opening of 2008 International Plum-Blossom Festival, Nanjing, China

In early spring, nice weather for several days in a row has brought about plum-blossoms in full bloom on Plum-Blossom Hill on the eastern outskirts of Nanjing. February 22 witnessed the commencement of the 13th International Plum-Blossom Festival, Nanjing, China in this intoxicating spring. As the first large festive activity in Nanjing after spring came around, International Plum-Blossom Festival, Nanjing, China is sponsored by Nanjing Bureau of Tourism and Administration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum.
Featured by “Enjoying 10000 plum-blossom trees and disseminating the spirit of universal love”, this plum-blossom festival consists of such colorful activities as the first selection contest of “Plum-blossom angels”, an exhibition of “Calligraphic and works and paintings of children”, little penguins touring around Plum-Blossom Hill, an exhibition of exquisite potted plum-blossoms, an exhibition of cars, a meeting with the hostess of TV channel for children and an evening party for declaring the result of “Plum-blossom angels” through selection. Local citizens and tourists can enjoy themselves to their hearts content during this grand one-month festival. Besides, sponsors also endeavor to promote friendship and give publicity to tourism via plum-blossoms through festive activities. As informed, over 200 people in charge of tourist agencies and travel agents attended the opening ceremony of this festival at invitation.
For facilitating local citizens and tourists in taking spring tour and enjoying plum-blossoms, admission tickets exclusively for enjoying plum-blossoms on Plum-Blossom Hill were sold as from February 7, 2008, with a ticket amounting to 40 Yuan per person each time（tourist areas include Plum-blossom Hill, Plum-Blossom Valley, the Sacred Path Flanked by Stone Elephants, the Sacred Wongzhong Path and Red-Chamber of Art and Culture）. A ticket amounting to 30 Yuan per person each time for the tour in the north of the Square Gate of Officials and Warriors of the Ming Tomb is required (tourist areas include the Tomb-Palace of the Ming Tomb, the Prince Tomb of Dongling, Zixia Lake and the Sacrificial Altar of the Six Dynasties）. In total, the price for a ticket amounting to 70 Yuan per person each time remains unchanged in the scenic area of the Ming Tomb. During the Plum-Blossom Festival, access to this scenic area is free of charge for local citizens and tourists with annual cards of 2008 as well as for army-men, retired veteran cadres, the disabled and the old with valid certificates. Each tourist having bought a ticket can take with him/her a child of less than 1.3 meters high free of charge. In addition, special preferential measures have been taken this year for enjoying plum-blossoms. Any child of less than 1.5 meters high (including 1.5 meters) can buy a preferential ticket of ten Yuan if he/she has a preferential coupon for the tour.