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As the cherry blossoms bloom, the city of Hebi in Henan province offers visitors an annual festival dedicated to strolling through the drifting petals, past stalls selling local delicacies, with live music playing in the background.

This year, the 11th Hebi Cherry Blossom Festival hosted its opening ceremony on April 2. The festival, which will run until April 21, includes interactive experiences, performances and markets, as well as three business forums to discuss the integration of culture, technology and tourism.

According to Wang Junwei, deputy head of the Hebi Cherry Blossom Culture Association, the city has been associated with the flower since the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC). Cherry trees were planted at the imperial palace in Zhaoge, then the capital city, which is located in Qixian county.

"Since 2006, Hebi has been planting cherry trees on a large scale along Huaxia South Road in the city center. Now, there are more than 300,000 cherry trees in 87 different varieties in the city," Wang says.

As the blossoms became an annual attraction, the festival was launched in 2015. The road, which is around 4 kilometers in length with 17 cherry tree varieties, was named "China's most beautiful cherry blossom avenue "in 2016 by the China Cherry Industry Association.

"When the first edition was held, it attracted tens of thousands of visitors, but after a decade of development, we registered 2.16 million visitors last year," Wang says.

The festival seeks to boost cultural tourism and economic development through cultural events, live performances, and interactive technological experiences.

This year's festival is placing a stronger emphasis on traditional aesthetics through a series of immersive experiences.