Hangzhou's iconic flower is known as 'sweet osmanthus' and it usually bursts into bloom between late September and early October each year. During the recent National Day Holiday, large numbers of citizens and tourists in Hangzhou went sightseeing in scenic areas where they had the chance to enjoy the scent of sweet osmanthus in and around the city.

Here is a selection of sites for sweet osmanthus viewing in Hangzhou:

Hangzhou Botanical Garden

The botanical garden is home to 2000 sweet osmanthus trees of 20 different species and among them is the most popular kind of osmanthus "the king of sweet osmanthus" which stands over ten meters tall and is 1.05 meters in width. The botanical garden is located in downtown Hangzhou and accessible via buses NO. 27, 28, 82, 807 and tour buses NO.1 and 5. Entrance tickets to the botanical garden are priced at ten yuan per person.

Hangzhou Children's Park

The Hangzhou Children's Park, more often known as the Hangzhou Meilong Guiyu Park has the largest number of sweet osmanthus trees in the city. More than 4000 sweet osmanthus trees make the Children's Park the most crowded place in Hangzhou to view the flowers in autumn. However, what makes the park special is not the large quantity of sweet osmanthus trees but the delicacies that are made from the sweet-scented flowers. There are an increasing number of family restaurants emerging in nearby areas that specialize in sweet osmanthus food such as sweet osmanthus porridge, sweet osmanthus cake and drinks distilled from sweet osmanthus. It has become a tradition among locals to hold a festival each year in celebration of sweet osmanthus coming to bloom. Visitors can reach the park by tour bus NO.3.

Linyin Temple

The Linyin Temple is known as one of the most prestigious Buddhist temples in China. While tourists come in admiration of the exclusive and transcendant spirit they may find themselves surrounded by lush green sweet osmanthus trees bearing tiny delicate yellow flowers. The autumn wind carrying refreshing fragrance of the sweet osmanthus flowers helps make a trip to the temple a more enjoyable experience. Linyin Temple is connected to downtown Hangzhou by bus NO.7, 807, 837 and tour bus NO.1, 2, 4 and 13.

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