Peony garden festival underway at Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace

The 2026 Peony Garden Festival commenced at the Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace, also known as the Imperial Ancestor Temple (Taimiao), on Saturday.

Running through April 25, the event gives visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a cultural celebration that intertwines floral appreciation with traditional performances, a stamp-collection game and a creative cultural market.

The festival features more than 3,000 peony plants, encompassing 30 varieties. Among the highlights are around 10 rare black peonies, along with two newly-cultivated varieties on public display for the first time.

According to Shu Qingyan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Botany, all nine wild peony species in the world are native to China, making them a unique resource. Since the 18th century, these wild species have been introduced to countries worldwide, serving as the biological foundation for thousands of hybrid cultivars.