Lilacs are now in full bloom in Harbin, adding more vitality and fragrance to the city. [Photo/Harbin news network]

The 2023 Harbin Lilac Festival kicked off in the capital city of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang on May 12.
 
According to officials from the Harbin municipal bureau of culture, radio, television, and tourism, this year's Lilac festival will launch four main activities to further expand public participation.
 
It will invite painters, authors, photographers and children in groups of 100 to draw pictures, write poems, take photos and recite poems or articles about lilacs.
 
Moreover, it will launch 20 high-quality tourist routes, 10 popular online celebrity check-in points, 10 lilac-viewing spots, and publish a guide to help people appreciate the spring flowers.
 
Lilacs have been planted in Harbin for over a century.
   
Currently, the city has more than 50 varieties of lilacs and over 1.3 million plants. The lilac trees are mainly located on the city's 581 streets and five parks that take the flower as their theme.
 
In particular, Qunli Lilac Park is now a popular sightseeing destination with 35 varieties and 160,000 lilac bushes.
 
Harbin is also home to six ancient lilac trees over a hundred years old. They are distributed across Zhaolin Park, the First Harbin Kindergarten, Sun Island Park, and Heping Cottages.
   
Lilacs are now in full bloom in Harbin, adding more vitality and fragrance to the city. [Photo/Harbin news network]
   
Lilacs are now in full bloom in Harbin, adding more vitality and fragrance to the city. [Photo/Harbin news network]