Huocheng Lavender garden

Chinese name: 薰衣草庄园（Xun Yi Cao Zhuang Yuan）
Location: Qingshuihe town, Huocheng county, Ili, Xinjiang.
Ticket: Entrance ticket CNY35.00
Estimated tour time: 1-2 hours
Recommended time to visit: Jun to Aug.
Nearby attractions: Guozi Valley, Sayram Lake, Kazanqi Folk Custom Village, Ili River, ect.

Huocheng county is located in the north west of Xinjiang, the western part of Tianshan Mountain, and the northwest of Yili valley, it is the largest area of lavender grown in China. Built in 2008 and occupying an area of 300 mu (20 hectares), the princess lavender garden is China’s first theme park to display the culture of lavender, as well as the first lavender base for wedding photos in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.With the beautiful landscape, vast and sparsely populated, snow mountains under blue sky and white clouds, set off the purple lavender fields, such a magnificent earth, the integration of heaven and earth, which is the paradise of tourists.

The garden consists of a lavender manufacturing and processing area, a lavender museum and lavender herb garden.

The lavender museum is the only lavender-themed museum in China that includes four pavilions. The museum collects various specimens, products, literature and pictures of lavender varieties, to vividly showcase the flowers’ biological features and processing techniques.

The lavender garden is also a base for researching, collecting, introducing and planting the perfumed plants. In addition to 12 varieties of lavender, the garden has collected and planted more than 100 varieties of perfume plants, including mint, rosemary, thyme and chamomile.

Home to China's biggest lavender-planting base, Huocheng is at the same latitude as Provence, France, which is renowned as the world's lavender capital. This gives the county similar climatic conditions and makes it the third largest lavender planting base in the world after Provence and Furano in Japan.

Lavender, dubbed the King of Perfume, is a natural herb with high medicinal values. Its stems and leaves can be used as medicines.It can also be applied to perfume and bath products, such as soaps, floral water and shampoo. Lavender essential oil is also precious in the perfume and medical industries.