The inaugural Qingdao Flower Viewing Festival kicked off at Beizhai Dalao Cherry Valley in Laoshan District on the morning of March 28. Deputy Chief Zhang Hui of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, also as the Director of the Qingdao Municipal United Front Work Department, attended the ceremony and announced the official launch of the event.

With the theme Using Blooming Encounters • A Floral Journey Through Qingdao, the festival runs from late March to late May, integrating cultural tourism with commerce, sports, landscaping, and agriculture. It features over 100 unique activities across six major sections, including flower viewing, gourmet tasting, performances, parades, and intangible cultural heritage markets, creating a "citywide floral spectacle with full-region participation." The festival aims to enhance the entire "eat, stay, travel, shop, and entertain" consumption ecosystem by extending industry chains, innovating diverse experiences, optimizing product offerings, and increasing subsidies. Ultimately, it seeks to convert "cultural tourism traffic" into "economic growth" and establish festival-driven tourism as a key engine for high-quality economic development.

Focusing on the spring season economic boom and boosting cultural tourism consumption, both municipal and district-level authorities will distribute cultural tourism vouchers during the festival, increasing subsidies for accommodation, scenic attractions, movie screenings, and cultural exhibitions.

Member of the Standing Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee Liu Shengqin was also present during the ceremony where he issued appointment letters to the 2025 Qingdao Cultural Tourism Promotion Ambassadors. Vice Mayor of Qingdao Zhao Yan delivered a speech, while Zhu Bo, a member of the Municipal Government Party Leadership Group, was also in attendance.