The "First Spring in Xinjiang: Flowers Bloom in Turpan" 2026 Apricot Blossom Season series of cultural and tourism consumption activities, along with the Ninth Toksun County Apricot Blossom Season integration promotion event, commenced on March 20th. Over 60,000 acres of apricot orchards in Toksun County are gradually coming into bloom, welcoming visitors from all directions and marking the start of the new blossom season in Xinjiang. During the Spring Equinox, Toksun County is adorned with budding willow trees and blossoming apricot flowers. In Xiazhen Nanhu Village, apricot trees line the roads, their branches heavy with flowers, while crowds of tourists fill the pathways. "Unlike the misty, soft spring of southern China, Xinjiang's spring feels passionate and expansive," said Liu Wenxing, a tourist from Jiangsu province, who traveled to Xinjiang with his family specifically to see the apricot blossoms in Toksun County.
After years of dedicated development and innovation, the Toksun County Apricot Blossom Season has evolved from a small-scale, regional spring outing into a renowned cultural tourism attraction within and beyond Xinjiang. This year's Apricot Blossom Season will continue until April 10th, featuring over 20 supporting cultural and tourism activities. It aims to move beyond simple flower viewing towards a diversified "blossom-plus" integrated model, striving to convert visitor traffic into longer stays. Currently, blossoms are emerging sequentially across Xinjiang, from the Tianshan Mountains' southern to northern foothills. The core area for blossom viewing in March is concentrated in Turpan City and southern Xinjiang. In April, as apricot and wild mountain flowers begin to bloom in areas like Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture and Tacheng Prefecture, the focus of floral tourism will shift northward.
In recent years, the influence of Xinjiang's spring blossom tourism theme has continued to grow, driving a sustained boom in the spring travel market. "Since pre-sales for blossom tour groups opened in late February, demand has been extremely high, with spots selling out quickly. Tours to Toksun are fully booked through mid-April," said Hu Bin, a manager at a Xinjiang travel agency. He added that the number of locations and scenic spots in Xinjiang promoting blossom tours has increased this year, giving tourists more options. Xia Jiangtao, Secretary-General of the Xinjiang Travel Agencies Association, stated that Xinjiang's blossom tourism offerings are continuing to upgrade towards greater diversity and depth. The proportion of tourists from outside Xinjiang has significantly increased, becoming a new highlight of the spring tourism market.
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