New tourist attraction to open in Guangzhou

A new tourist attraction that claims to bring visitors good luck will open in Guangzhou’s Conghua district starting next Friday, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

More than 1,000 peach blossom trees will be in full bloom on Taohua Island, or Peach Blossoms Island, during the Lunar New Year period, and will bring good luck to visitors from home and abroad, said Qiu Guoxiong, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Liuxi River National Forest Park.

“And now it is only the first stage of construction on Taohua island. More than 3,000 peach blossom trees will have been planted on the island, which will cover about 2 hectares by the end of the year, making it a real island of peach blossoms in the city,” Qiu told China Daily.

According to a traditional Chinese saying, peach blossoms usually indicate good luck for those looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Xu Shengtao, a Taohua Island manager, said the site is expected to attract between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors during the 15-day Lunar New Year period, beginning Friday.

“And Taohua Island will attract about 300,000 visitors a year,” he said.

Located in Liuxi Lake, which covers more than 13.3 hectares, Taohua Island, the lake's largest, is expected to become one of the major tourist attractions in the southern metropolis, according to Xu.

In addition to peach blossom trees, many water entertainment facilities and projects have been built to attract tourists.

Meanwhile many different kinds of colorful dog sculptures and models have been built and placed in the peach blossom forest to mark the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac.

Meanwhile, restaurants and other facilities are being planned in the coming months, he added.

It takes ferries about 10 minutes to reach Taohua Island from the city's piers.