East Lake Cherry Blossom Garden

1978 Sino-Japanese friendship cherry grove (5 gardens, 3,000+ trees), illuminated night cherry blossoms. The cherry garden inside the Moshan scenic area grew out of the 1978 cherry-blossom diplomacy of Sino-Japanese friendship; its 5 Japanese-style gardens hold more than 3,000 cherry trees of over fifty varieties, ranked alongside Japan's Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Garden and Washington, D.C.'s cherry blossoms as the world's three great cherry blossom sites. The classic composition of the five-story pagoda set against the blossoms comes from Japanese garden landscaping; early varieties such as "Chumeiren" and "Somei Yoshino" open in early March, with mid-season Somei Yoshino and late-season Kanzan carrying through to early April. Night cherry blossoms are the garden's trump card: after dark, lights illuminate the branches like snow over a river of lamps, and the two hours before the 22:00 closing are the busiest. At CNY 60, admission stands out for value among China's cherry gardens in blossom season; arrive on a weekday evening to dodge weekend crowds.

Getting there: Moshan Scenic Area