New business models make cherry blossom season more lucrative in Beijing

Businesses in China's Beijing have been exploring new ways to make the short cherry blossom viewing period more profitable.

Although springtime flower-viewing events draw large crowds every year, visitor numbers and revenue are concentrated heavily in the short peak bloom period.

Yuyuantan Park, one of the most popular flower-viewing destinations in the city, has made efforts to improve the situation.

The most direct way is to extend the blooming period. With over 50 varieties of flowers blooming at different times, the blooming season now lasts from mid-March to late April.

Additionally, the park is moving beyond the traditional "park plus flower-viewing" model by transforming a single season of blossoms into a lasting IP, turning a one-season surge into year-round business.

With 45 cherry blossom–themed cultural and creative products in five categories, it's almost impossible to leave empty-handed.

"There's quite a wide range of cultural and creative products here - stationery, keychains, fridge magnets. I was just looking for a sun umbrella as well, thinking of buying one," said one visitor.

"I bought a DIY cultural fridge magnet featuring a bird. You can assemble it yourself, and it turns into these little bird shapes. I'm planning to give it to a friend who enjoys crafts. I also picked up a keychain - the design is really nice," said another.

It also partnered with nearby malls to further boost the consumption.

Every weekend during the blossom season, 14 free shuttle buses run back and forth between the park and CapitaMall Crystal, seamlessly linking a day in the park with dining and retail.

"Yuyuantan Park is a popular destination for cherry blossom viewing, attracting huge numbers of visitors. After enjoying the blossoms, people often look for places to eat or shop, and we want to make that as convenient as possible. In practice, this shuttle service has delivered a very high conversion rate, with 99 percent of the passengers going on to spend at the mall," said Zhang Xuejiao, manager of the mall.

The mall also plans to team up with the park to launch cherry blossom-themed IP meet-and-greet events, study tours, and more immersive experiences to extend the value chain of the "blossom economy" beyond the peak season.

New business models make cherry blossom season more lucrative in Beijing

As of 19:49 on Monday, China's total box office revenue for the Qingming Festival holiday had surpassed 300 million yuan (about 43.6 million U.S. dollars), according to data from online platforms.

The holiday lineup features animation, family, suspense, and other genres, with "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie", "Project Hail Mary", "It's OK", and "Now I Met Her" leading the tally.

The Qingming Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday that falls on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox, and China's three-day Qingming Festival holiday started on Saturday this year. While it is a time to enjoy the greenery of springtime and to visit the graves of ancestors, the holiday has also become a busy period for cultural and tourism activities in China, including visits to the cinema.

Cinemas in Beijing's Chaoyang District, as one of the first pilot areas for China's "movie plus" initiative, are actively exploring the "ticket stub economy," allowing moviegoers to present their ticket stubs from cinemas to receive discounts and added services in subsequent consumption scenarios.

In Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the Xi'an Film Studio Experience Center for Arts of Film integrates film history with tourism, immersing visitors in the glory of classic movies.

"The exhibition gave me a systematic understanding of the historical development of Chinese film industry, allowing me to follow the footsteps of films to learn new things. I harvested both happiness and novel knowledge," said Qiu Keyu, a tourist.

The XR cinema in the park immerses visitors in film scenes.

"After putting on the XR device, I felt completely immersed - it was quite exciting," said Liu Bin, a moviegoer.

Qingming holiday box office hits 300 mln yuan