Pink and white Chinese bell flowers (enkianthus quinqueflorus) are now in full bloom in Zhuhai's Doumen District, and they seem boundless on the hilltop slopes of the Huangyang and Guogaidong mountains.

This elegant flower is a representative variety of ericaceae, and the plant's overall height can reach 3 m (10 ft). It usually blooms around the Start of Spring, the first solar term of the year, and can be seen until March.

Bell flowers in full bloom hung on branches

The bell-shaped flower is one of the most popular local flowers in the Lingnan area, as there is an old saying: A ring of the golden bell brings metric tons of gold.

It is a unique flower in China and was listed on the Red List of Threatened Species in 2018 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A hiking enthusiast in Doumen, surnamed Liang, noted that the bell flowers are native to Doumen and that they are hard to domesticate. These flowers can grow freely thanks to the ecological protection in Doumen. The district has also set up trails to make it more convenient for people to get a closer look at these flowers. 

Two bees collect pollen from the blooming bell flowers

A hiker takes a picture of the beautiful flowers while hiking [Photos courtesy WeChat account: meilidoumen]