Photo：Jin Yingying
By Jin Yingying
Every year, over 400,000 tulip bulbs bloom splendidly at the Hangzhou Prince Bay Park. Except for the blooming season crowdedness, it is always one of the top leisure to smell the flowers there in the spring. Not to mention that this year it becomes more convenient to get there as the traffic becomes better.
Two recently launched exclusive water bus routes are run for the flower season, with one departing from Qianwang Temple and one from Hangfan Wharf. Each takes 10 minutes for a single trip to the Flower Pond Wharf, which is 5 minutes' walk from the park. The transportation service is designed to cater to the needs of flower admiring and will run until April 16.
The non-stop water busses run from 8:00 to 16:30 with a roughly half an hour interval. The ticket price is 15 yuan per adult, free for the children under 1.2 meters tall who have to be accompanied by at least one adult, and half-price for the children between 1.2 meters and 1.5 meters tall. Hangzhou residents or international students studying in Hangzhou can enjoy a 5-yuan ticket with their local IDs.
Besides tulips and daffodils, cherry flowers are astonishing. The most anticipated sakura trees are planted on the lawn close to the big windmill. The two largest trees in full bloom are like cloud-decorated castles or two huge piles of marshmallows. According to a staff, this week would be the best time to watch the snowish cherry blossoms falling down.
You can make a reservation one day in advance via the WeChat Apps Hangzhou West Lake Scenic Spots, Fenghuang Mountain Management Office, and West Lake Tourism, or the WeChat mini-program West Lake Tourism to reserve up to three parks each time. The number of visitors is adjustable according to the actual situation.