Ringed with floral 'necklace'
Early summer in Beijing brings a floral spectacle along the city's ring roads. Chinese roses are now in full bloom along the median strips of the Fourth Ring Road, drawing commuters to admire their vibrant colors and heady fragrance.
Social media is buzzing with posts recommending the best spots, with netizens calling the green belts "May's romantic highlight". One commuter remarked, "I usually rush home after work, but lately I stop to enjoy the flowers. The city feels more romantic."
Landscaping of the Fourth Ring Road is being upgraded this year, the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau said.
New rose varieties now complement the established ones, offering longer blooming cycles and more abundant flowers. The flowering season has been extended from May through late October. When completed in November, the 65.3-kilometer-long project will create a continuous "rose necklace" of an estimated 710,000 plants citywide.
In Beijing's hutongs, roses flourish — climbing walls, spilling over fences, and softening the edges of small gardens. For locals, these flowers are not a luxury; they are a familiar presence, a splash of beauty in everyday life.
Wang Meng, 38, was born and raised in the hutong area of Hufangqiao, in the southern part of the city. One of her favorite places to enjoy Chinese roses is Taoranting Park near her home.
After obtaining a master's in gardening from China Agricultural University, Wang started working at the park in 2013. She now serves as a senior engineer in landscape architecture.
"Growing up in the hutongs, Chinese roses were always around," she recalled."They're part of the neighborhood, part of our memories. This park lets me see them in full bloom, and it feels like the city itself is celebrating with me."
Established in 1952, Taoranting Park was one of the first large public parks in Beijing after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
Unlike imperial gardens, which were private and formal, Taoranting Park was intended as a place for ordinary citizens to relax, socialize and enjoy nature, earning its reputation as the "People's Park".
Stepping into the rose garden, known as the Shengchun Shan Fang Rose Area, feels like entering a world made entirely of colors and scents.
Wang said with more than 19,000 plants of 20 varieties, the garden is a living tapestry that constantly changes with the seasons, filling the air with layers of fragrance.
"It's not just a garden — it's a space crafted for strolling, lingering and losing oneself amid Beijing's most beloved roses," she said."Ubiquitous yet essential, Chinese roses are the subtle color running through the heart of Beijing."
