Tulips are in full bloom this month at Beijing's Zhongshan Park. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com]

Zhongshan Park, immediately to the west of the Forbidden City, is currently running its annual Tulip Festival, which has roots in Chinese-Western friendship.

Built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty, the park was first used as a sacred ground for prayer. In 1940, the park was renamed "Central Park," and became the first one in the city to open to the public. Later, the park's name was changed to "Zhongshan," in commemoration of Sun Yat-sen.

The park quickly gained recognition for its foliage. Some of the trees are up to 1,000 years old, and the park is home to a variety of flowers every spring. Zhongshan's distinctive crop of tulips arrived from Holland in 1977.

That year, China and Holland created a formal relationship, and Princess Beatrix of Holland (now the reigning queen) gave the tulips, the national flower of Holland, to Zhongshan Park as a gift. More tulips were added in 1996, which was the inaugural year of the festival.

Over 100 varieties of tulips now grow in the park. This year's Tulip Festival runs from Apr 10 to May 10, but the best time to see the tulips is between mid-April and the end of the month.

Aside from a beautiful exhibition of the colorful flowers, the park also holds several events aimed at raising public interest in tulips and their heritage. "We hope visitors come here not only to see the beautiful colors and shapes of our tulips, but also to understand the culture and history of the flower," said Yuan Chengjiang, garden manager at Zhongshan Park.