Yuanming Yuan, or Garden of Eternal Brightness, is set to kick off its 14th annual Lotus Festival on 1 July. The garden has the largest area covered by lotuses and the most lotus breeds in Beijing. But this year's festival will feature more than just lotuses.
This year's festival also boasts other firsts for the Old Summer Palace. It will push its closing time back two hours to 9 p.m. Visitors will be able to experience the garden at night, when it will light up the area around the Jianbi Pavilion. More food and drinks made with the lotus plant also will be available. The festival will run until August 31.