Recently, a spring flower fairy parade took place at a Changsha metro station, officially unveiling the promotional campaign for the 2026 Hunan Ecotourism Festival and the 18th Dawei Mountain Azalea Festival. "Azalea fairies" dressed in elegant attire danced gracefully against a backdrop of a sea of flowers, while the "azalea fairy family" made a stunning appearance with baskets of flowers, presenting a magical, ancient-style fashion show. The "grandma flower fairies group" sang a classic revolutionary song titled "Azaleas" with heartfelt passion and engaged the audience in a lively song-guessing relay game.
This year's azalea festival, themed "Enjoying Flowers on Dawei Mountain and Watching Fireworks in Liuyang," will be held from April 20 to May 15. The festival is a core component of a series of events celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Dawei Mountain Forest Park. The Dawei Mountain boasts the fame of "Green Pearl of Eastern Hunan" and is home to the largest expanse of natural wild azaleas in central China. The festival will leverage such ecological endowments to build the Dawei Mountain into a "nationally renowned new hub for forest tourism." The efforts aim to assist the development of a comprehensive cultural and tourism industry in eastern Liuyang, and celebrate this milestone anniversary with the fruitful achievements of ecological tourism.
The Dawei Mountain Forest Park will specially organize the "Mirrored Flower Enchantment" immersive interactive event to create a fully immersive, trendy experience. With a vast 10,000-mu (666.67 ha.) sea of flowers serving as a natural stage, each visitor will become the star of this floral spectacle, interacting up close with "flower fairies." The entire Dawei Mountain will become a fantastical floral realm that can be seen, felt, and explored.
In addition to immersive interactive experiences, a series of events will also bring visitors a cultural tourism feast. A photo exhibition chronicling the 30-year development of Dawei Mountain will take visitors on a journey through the forest park's growth. A Liuyang rural banquet chef challenge and a high-altitude gourmet market will present authentic rural flavors amidst a sea of flowers. A themed photo shoot, along with a high-altitude wellness yoga and tai chi sessions will provide immersive mind-body healing experiences. The static sea of flowers on Dawei Mountain will integrate with dynamic fireworks of Liuyang—two core cultural and tourism IPs—further elevating the profiles of both Dawei Mountain and Liuyang fireworks.
It is worth noting that this year's azalea season will also feature a helicopter tour, offering a brand-new bird's eye view of the azaleas on Daiwei Mountain. The Dawei Mountain helicopter flower viewing tour will allow visitors to fly over a sea of azaleas on the Daiwei Mountain, taking in the breathtaking sight of azaleas blanketing the mountainsides. Visitors can capture the high-altitude floral landscapes, the spectacular sea of clouds, and the intricate textures of the mountain forests all at once.
The first blooms of the azaleas at Dawei Mountain are expected to begin on April 20, with the best viewing period running from April 23 to May 5. The Dawei Mountain National Forest Park cordially invites visitors to come and enjoy this spectacular spring floral scenery.
Chinese source: Voice of Hunan
