Fengqing Avenue. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Hangzhou's elevated roads are now awash with color as 1.7 million roses across more than 40 varieties reach peak bloom, creating a stunning "sky corridor" that's drawing both locals and tourists.

The floral display, dubbed online as "taxes in full bloom", is the result of 17 years of green innovation since the city first trialed rose planting on overpasses in 2009.

Once reliant on foreign breeds, Hangzhou now champions its own Xizi roses, bred locally to better resist heat, rain, and cold. These varieties — like Xizi Misty Rain — have cut maintenance costs by 30 percent and now cover 1.3 million spots citywide.

With over 500 kilometers of rose-adorned roads, Hangzhou's blooming highways are now a signature of the city's ecological landscape. Officials say 2025 will mark the start of a new chapter, as the city aims to take Chinese rose culture global and share its urban greening model with the world.

Liushi Highway. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Qiushi Highway. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]