China's Qinghai province, hometown of tulips

When talking about #tulips, the first thing comes to your mind is the Netherlands, right? But do you know that China’s Qinghai is the actual hometown of tulips?

Qinghai Province is located on the Tibetan Plateau in western China. Xining is the capital of Qinghai Province. Due to the cool summer weather, it is known as the "Chinese Summer Capital". The climate in Xining is very suitable for the growth of tulips. More than 2,000 years ago, the tulip growing here has been passed to Central Asia, then in the 16th century, the tulips were brought into Europe. Later, due to historical changes, the tulip disappeared in Qinghai. In 1989, China introduced tulips again from the Netherlands. The tulips returned to its hometown.

Every year around the May 1st the tulips bloom, and Xining holds a tulip festival annually. In the major parks and main streets of Xining, tulips of all shapes and sizes are in full swing and become the most attractive scenery. (Photos by Lijun Xu)