The 32nd Heze International Peony Culture and Tourism Festival is scheduled to kick off on April 1, local officials announced at a recent news conference.

Lasting until May 31, this year's edition will consist of 71 activities in nine sections, including the opening ceremony, forums, economic and trade promotions, cultural performances, art exhibitions, sports and health themed activities, as well as the online peony festival.

The Heze International Peony Culture and Tourism Festival attracts many tourists every year. [Photo/Heze Daily]

It will create a peony festival attracting engagement from all walks of life and from the whole world to increase its international profile, according to the organizing committee.

Heze, dubbed the "Peony Capital of China", has a long history of peony flower cultivation. Currently, the city has a peony planting area of about 26,667 hectares, with over 1,200 varieties.

The city has developed into the country's largest base for peony cultivation, research, sales, and exports. It has formed a peony industry development chain integrating industrial technology, seedling breeding, large-scale planting, industrial processing, as well as sightseeing and tourism.

The forums held during the festival will be enriched, while activities like the homecoming entrepreneurship and industrial design forums will be held for the first time.

A dazzling array of cultural and art activities will be staged, such as gourmet food competitions, Chinese-style hanfu clothing displays, and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions.

Districts and counties in Heze will roll out activities with their own characteristics, while livestreaming activities will also be held to attract more engagement.

In order to improve tourism quality, Heze has upgraded and transformed major scenic spots like Caozhou Peony Garden, Baihua Garden, and China Peony Garden. It has also planned temporary parking spaces around scenic spots to maximize convenience for tourists.

Heze will also coordinate public security, emergency, industry and information technology, health, market supervision, and other departments to maintain public safety, food safety, and social stability in an all-round way during the festival, as well as to coordinate market supply, price control, and other work, said local officials.

Heze is dubbed the "Peony Capital of China". [Photo/Heze Daily]