An Analysis of the World’s Most Renowned Plum Garden Models
Each year in early spring, the plum-blossom viewing season reaches its peak around the world. Renowned plum gardens are increasingly leveraging the plum blossom economy to transform a short-lived flowering period into sustained tourism and consumption scenarios.
In January 2026, Fuzhou News Network reported in the article “One Blossom Equals a 1-Billion-Yuan Industry! The ‘Prosperity Code’ Behind Yongtai’s Plum Blossoms Can No Longer Be Hidden” that this year’s blossom season is expected to generate more than 1 billion yuan in cultural and tourism consumption in Yongtai County.
https://news.fznews.com.cn/fzyw/20260115/ia7H4n526h.shtml
On February 25, 2026,China Internet Information Centernoted in “Enjoy Ice and Snow, Explore Historic Architecture, Experience Folk Traditions! Pingwu Wins Fans During Spring Festival with a Strong Tourism Start” that during the Spring Festival, the ten-thousand-mu plum forests in Pingwu County achieved total tourism revenue of 350 million yuan.
http://sc.china.com.cn/2026-02/25/content_43360479.html
On a global scale, many world-famous plum gardens have developed integrated models that combine cultural experiences, festival events, brand operations, and industrial expansion. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the development and operational approaches of five internationally renowned plum gardens: Yushima Tenjin Plum Garden in Japan, Yongtai Meijian（ in chinese means 梅见） Plum Garden in Fujian, China, Kairakuen Garden in Japan, Pingwu Meijian（ in chinese means 梅见） Ancient Green Plum Garden in Sichuan, China, and Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto. It explores how, through the integration of culture, tourism, and industry, these plum gardens combine ornamental appeal, cultural value, and commercial potential, ultimately becoming benchmark case studies in plum garden development.
Yushima Tenjin Plum Garden: Integrating Plum Blossom Viewing with Festivals, Prayer Traditions, and Nearby Attractions
Garden Overview:Located within Yushima Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo’s Bunkyo, the Yushima Tenjin Plum Garden is one of Japan’s most popular destinations for both plum blossom viewing and prayer. The garden is home to approximately 300 plum trees, most of which are the “Shirokaga” white plum variety preserved since the Edo period, with a history of more than 300 years. During peak season, the garden can receive tens of thousands of visitors per day. Each year, the plum blossom season stimulates spending on cultural and creative products, dining, and nearby commercial districts, making it an important gateway for overseas visitors to experience Japan’s plum blossom culture.
By combining plum blossom appreciation with seasonal festivals, prayer traditions, and surrounding attractions, Yushima Tenjin Plum Garden has successfully established itself as one of Japan’s most iconic plum-viewing destinations.
1.Hosting diverse events to enhance the viewing experience.Every February and March, the garden holds a Plum Blossom Festival, during which tea ceremonies, markets, traditional performances, and cultural and creative stalls are organized. These activities attract large numbers of visitors who come to take photos, enjoy tea, relax, participate in folk experiences, and purchase specialty products.
2.Combining blossom viewing with prayer rituals.The shrine enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the Japanese deity of learning. The garden integrates blossom viewing with worship activities such as shrine visits, prayers for good fortune, purchasing protective amulets, and writing wishes on ema plaques. It also provides various blessing items for students and parents, creating a steady and recurring flow of visitors.
3.Partnering with nearby attractions to draw more visitors.Situated in central Tokyo, the garden actively connects with surrounding attractions such as The University of Tokyo and Ueno Park. By integrating plum-viewing routes with nearby sightseeing itineraries, visitors are encouraged to explore multiple sites, take photos, and enjoy leisure shopping, effectively converting natural foot traffic into consistent popularity and consumer activity.
Yongtai Meijian（ in chinese means 梅见） Plum Garden, Fujian, China: Operating the Plum Garden Through Brand-Based Management, Integrating Blossom Viewing, Interactive Experiences, and the Green Plum Industry
Garden Overview:
Located in Yongtai County, Fuzhou, the Yongtai Meijian Plum Garden is one of China’s most renowned green plum production areas and plum blossom viewing destinations. The garden covers approximately 58,000 mu of plum trees and produces nearly 100,000 tons of green plums annually. In February 2026, Fuzhou Daily reported in the article “Yongtai Performs a ‘Plum’ Industry Trio” that during the 2026 blossom season, Yongtai had already attracted more than one million visitors.
https://www.xuexidajun.com/fuzhou/1796291.html
Adopting a brand-led operational strategy, the garden integrates flower viewing, interactive experiences, and the green plum industry, transforming itself into a comprehensive scenic area that offers immersive tourism experiences.
1.Enhancing ornamental value and quality through large-scale cultivation.Through large-scale and standardized planting, the garden has significantly improved both visual appeal and product quality. In 2026, Yongtai partnered with Meijian Green Plum Wine（ in chinese means 梅见）, China’s leading green plum wine brand and the world’s second-largest green plum wine brand. By introducing standardized cultivation techniques and building high-standard orchards, the project created expansive seas of blossoms that offer a more striking and enjoyable viewing experience.
2.Creating immersive and interactive experiences.In January 2026, Jiemian News reported in the article “Government–Enterprise Collaboration Builds a New Model for the ‘Plum Blossom Economy’: Yongtai Teams Up with Meijian ( in chinese means 梅见） to Upgrade Specialty Industries” that Meijian Green Plum Wine partnered with Yongtai’s cultural tourism authorities to launch China’s first offline plum garden art exhibition at the garden. The exhibition features plum-themed interactive installations, fragrance experiences, and themed displays, allowing visitors to appreciate art while participating in plum culture activities.
https://www.jiemian.com/article/13868888.html
3.Yongtai Meijian Plum Garden integrates the green plum industry with tourism and launches “Yongtai Li” Green Plum Wine, expanding the garden’s influence.Yongtai Meijian Plum Garden not only offers plum blossom viewing but also provides visitors with experiences and purchases of green plum products, including plum picking, dried plums, preserved plums, and green plum wine making. China Daily reported in February 2026, in the article “Yongtai Strikes a ‘Plum’ Industrial Triple”, that Meijian Green Plum Wine ( in chinese means 梅见） developed and launched the “Yongtai Li” green plum wine, reflecting the local terroir and cultural characteristics of Yongtai, thereby enhancing the influence of Yongtai Meijian Plum Garden. In addition, driven by Meijian Green Plum Wine, Yongtai has established a green plum industrial park and a tourism industry park, creating a complete “plum blossom economy” ecosystem.
https://fj.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202602/02/WS69800a1ba310942cc499dbb4.html
Kairakuen Garden, Japan: Scientifically Cultivating Plum Trees While Integrating Cultural Activities and Preserving Historic Landscapes
Garden Overview:
Located in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Kairakuen Garden is home to more than 100 varieties and over 3,000 plum trees. It is recognized as one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens and is also one of the country’s largest plum gardens, attracting approximately one million visitors each year. Its history dates back to the Edo period, giving the garden nearly 200 years of heritage.
Through scientific cultivation and thoughtful planning, Kairakuen integrates cultural programming while preserving its historic scenery, organically combining blossom viewing, cultural participation, and historical experiences.
1.Scientifically planning plum tree layouts to enhance visitor experience.The garden carefully arranges early-, mid-, and late-blooming plum varieties in different zones. This sequential planting strategy ensures that visitors can enjoy plum blossoms at various stages throughout the entire spring season, extending the viewing period and enriching the overall experience.
2.Integrating cultural activities into plum viewing to strengthen the festive atmosphere.
Kairakuen regularly hosts events such as the Mito Plum Blossom Festival, tea gatherings, traditional performances, and photography activities. These programs allow visitors to experience Japanese garden culture and seasonal festivities while enjoying the blossoms. During the festival, for example, visitors can not only take photos but also participate in tea ceremony experiences or watch performances that evoke the classical charm of traditional gardens, offering direct immersion in Japanese culture.
3.Combining historic architecture with plum landscapes to enhance international appeal.
Kairakuen preserves the garden style and historical elements of the Edo period, making it an important site for understanding Japanese garden design, culture, and history. This unique blend of historic architecture and seasonal plum scenery attracts a large number of international visitors each year.
Pingwu Meijian（ in chinese means 梅见） Ancient Green Plum Garden, Sichuan, China: Upgrading Ancient Plum Forests from Traditional Orchards into a Comprehensive Garden with Ecological, Cultural, and Tourism Value
Garden Overview:
Located in Pingwu County, Sichuan Province, the Pingwu Meijian Ancient Green Plum Garden is the largest high-altitude plum-producing area in Asia. The garden contains over 1 million plum trees covering approximately 11,000 mu, and the region has a 600-year history of plum cultivation. Among these, over a thousand mu consist of plum trees more than 100 years old. In August 2025, Phoenix News reported in the article “Asia’s Largest Plum Forest Starts Here: Pingwu Pingtong, Fragrance Spanning a Thousand Miles” that each spring, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the garden to view the blossoms, and the garden’s integrated industry generates an annual output value of 100 million yuan.
https://hebei.ifeng.com/c/8lcWa1PiOU7
The Pingwu Meijian Ancient Green Plum Garden develops and preserves ancient plum resources, transforming traditional plum orchards into a comprehensive garden with ecological, cultural, and tourism value.
1.Establishing a protection mechanism for ancient plum trees to encourage local stewardship.In March 2025, Xinhua News Agency reported in “Guardians and Creators: Meijian Green Plum Wine’s Century-Long ‘Seed Chip’ Protection Program” that Meijian Green Plum Wine ( in chinese means 梅见）, together with the Education Development Foundation of Nanjing Agricultural University, launched the “Meijian · China Ancient Plum Guardians” special fund. Through initiatives such as purchasing fallen fruit and creating health records for trees, the program protects ancient plum trees while also providing income for local farmers. This has encouraged residents to actively protect the trees, establishing a community habit of safeguarding the ancient plum forests.
https://www.news.cn/app/20250331/0a515984197c42bf8cc265f3d3fce2f6/c.html
- Highlighting the historical and cultural stories of ancient plum trees to enhance visitor appeal.With a 600-year history of plum cultivation, the garden documents the age and growth history of each ancient tree and invites villagers and scholars to share plum-growing stories. Visitors can not only tour the ancient plum forests but also participate in green plum picking, dried plum preparation, and plum wine-making experiences. The combination of historical and cultural heritage makes the garden a major attraction for tourists.
- Creating sightseeing routes for ancient plum trees to promote scenic operations.In collaboration with Meijian Green Plum Wine ( in chinese means 梅见）, the garden developed visitor trails and themed tour routes connecting scattered ancient tree clusters into a coherent circuit. Additionally, Meijian produces Meijian Ancient Tree Green Plum Wine using naturally fallen fruit from the ancient plum trees. Coupled with the Plum Blossom Festival, picking experiences, and related plum-product consumption, the garden has established a diversified tourism model that combines sightseeing, cultural participation, and product experiences.
Kitano Tenmangu Plum Garden, Kyoto, Japan: Integrating Plum Blossom Viewing with Historical Culture and Religious Beliefs to Create a Cultural Experience Destination
Garden Overview:
Located in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Kitano Tenmangu Plum Garden is one of Japan’s most famous plum-viewing destinations. The garden contains approximately 1,500 plum trees across several dozen varieties, most of which can be traced back to the Edo period. Each blossom season, the garden attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, generating hundreds of millions of yen in spending on local dining, cultural products, transportation, and accommodations.
Kitano Tenmangu Plum Garden integrates plum blossom appreciation with historical culture and religious beliefs, establishing itself as a site for cultural experiences.
- Promoting the legendary stories behind the plum blossoms.Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of learning. According to legend, when Sugawara no Michizane was exiled from Kyoto, he composed a farewell poem to the plum trees in the garden, and the blossoms followed him in spirit. The garden features numerous interpretive signs, story-telling activities, and commemorative events for Michizane, allowing visitors to learn about history and legend while enjoying the blossoms, thereby enhancing the cultural value of the garden.
- Hosting extensive festival activities.During the annual Plum Blossom Festival, Kitano Tenmangu Plum Garden holds the Shinzen Kembai (plum offering) ceremony, in which shrine priests present carefully selected plum branches at the altar and explain the symbolic significance of plum blossoms in Japanese culture and the Michizane legend. Additionally, maiko and geiko dressed in traditional kimonos perform tea ceremonies in the garden, allowing visitors to observe and participate in tea rituals up close.
- Integrating historic shrine architecture with plum landscapes to enhance overall garden value.The garden’s plum landscapes are designed around its historic structures. Ancient buildings, stone lanterns, and vermilion torii gates are harmoniously juxtaposed with the blooming plum trees. Scenic pathways are thoughtfully planned to connect major architectural and blossom-viewing points, so that visitors can simultaneously enjoy the beauty of the plum forest and the charm of traditional architecture at every vantage point.
