Heze’s Peony Power: How a Flower is Transforming a City 🌸
Hey there! Have you ever heard of a flower changing an entire city? In Heze, a city in eastern China’s Shandong Province, the beautiful peony flower is doing just that!
The Peony Journey Begins
Back in 2000, a young graduate named Li Xiaoqi returned to his hometown of Heze. With big dreams and a love for peonies, he started with just a small peony field, less than the size of a soccer field!
But Li didn’t stop there. He worked really hard and grew his peony field to an enormous garden. Now, it has over 2,200 mu (that’s about 147 hectares!) of peonies. He even built a modern peony park with labs, offices, and cool facilities.
Helping the Community Blossom
Li wasn’t just thinking about himself. He taught hundreds of local farmers how to grow and care for peonies. Together, they helped many families earn money and make their lives better. 🌼
A City Full of Peonies
Thanks to people like Li, Heze is now known as “the peony capital of China.” The city has created four big areas of growth:
- Seedling Breeding – Growing new peony plants.
- Flower Cultivation – Taking care of the peonies as they grow.
- Deep Processing – Making products from peonies like oils and cosmetics.
- Cultural Tourism – Inviting people to visit and enjoy the beauty of peonies.
The Big Peony Festival 🌸🎉
Every year, Heze celebrates with a huge festival called the Heze Peony Festival. In 2025, it’s going to be extra special! There will be fun activities, colorful flowers, and people from all over the world will come to see the amazing peonies.
Sharing Peonies with the World
Heze doesn’t just grow peonies; they share them! They sell millions of peony flowers to over 20 countries. How cool is that?
More Than Just a Pretty Flower
Peonies are not only beautiful; they also help the city in many ways:
- Creating jobs for people.
- Attracting tourists from around the globe.
- Making products like oils and cosmetics.
The peony has become a symbol of friendship and sharing. Heze even has peony culture stations in countries like Brazil, Malaysia, and Romania!
Join the Peony Fun!
If you ever get a chance, visit Heze during the peony season. You’ll see fields of colorful flowers, meet friendly people, and be part of a blooming community. 🌸😊
The story of Heze’s peonies shows how something small can grow into something amazing with hard work and sharing. Isn’t that inspiring?
Reference(s):
Heze's peony industry boosts development, cultural exchanges
cgtn.com
