In a poem by Liu Yuxi (772-842) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), peonies' blossoms attract visitors from all over the capital. Hailed as the "queen of flowers," the peony symbolizes wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture and has been favored by Chinese people since ancient times. The painting "Twenty-four Peony Varieties," drawn by the court painter Qian Weicheng (1720-1772) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), portrays a number of different varieties and colors of the flower in full bloom. With a balanced composition and rich use of colors, it's one of the representative works of traditional Chinese paintings with a peony theme. Produced by China Media Group, the cultural program "China in Poetry and Painting" invited dancer Wang Xuerou and other performers from the Beijing Dance Drama & Opera to translate this into an animated dance. Using paper cutting as part of the stage design, the aesthetic of peonies in this masterpiece is fully exhibited, giving audiences a visual feast.

Flowering plants are abundant in China, but the peony is the most cherished. Not only is it beautiful, but it also has profound historical connotations. It has long been regarded in Chinese culture as a symbol of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity and is a common theme in Chinese paintings. Now housed at the Palace Museum, the painting "Twenty-four Peony Varieties" was drawn by the famous court painter Qian Weicheng of the Qing Dynasty. In this painting, the 24 peonies are shown in full bloom in a kaleidoscope of colors, including pink, red, blue, purple and white. They are scattered around in an asymmetrical way that nonetheless achieves a strong visual balance. Qian Weicheng also annotates each one with the name of the specific variety, making the painting a valuable resource for botanical research, especially for those studying rare peony species.

Fan Di'an, dean of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, applauds Qian's use of color. According to Fan, "Twenty-four Peony Varieties" conveys a sense of opulence and elegance. At first blush, the painting arrests the viewer's attention with its sophisticated color palette, which is a characteristic of works by court painters. However, distinguished by the smooth transition from one color to the next, this masterpiece also shows some of the hallmarks of traditional literati paintings. While paying tribute to the beauty of peonies, Qian has also imbued them with a sense of imperishable natural vitality.

Apart from the use of color, the composition of the painting was also thoughtfully designed. Generally speaking, depicting the same subject repeatedly on a long scroll could be a risky gambit resulting in a plain-looking painting. However, "Twenty-four Peony Varieties" has managed to avoid this pitfall by using a scattered composition. The 24 peonies are distributed across the painting in a dispersed style, allowing them to spread the leaves more creatively to exhibit the blossoms' beauty fully. With finely honed painting techniques, Qian integrates these scattered elements into a coherent whole, creating a wonderful sense of harmony.

The peony embodies traditional Chinese culture while also conforming to modern aesthetics. On the stage of "China in Poetry and Painting," the 24 peonies emerge from the painting in the form of paper-cutting works. Accompanied by a melodious soundtrack, the performers, led by Wang Xuerou, dance among the paper peonies. With clothes resembling the petals and movements mimicking the flowers, the dancers take the audience into a sea of peonies in full bloom to immerse them in the charm of the painting. People and flowers complement each other on the stage. Meanwhile, the combination of dance and paper cutting presents the glamour and beauty of these prized flowers in both a dynamic and static manner.

The power of the peony lies not only in its beauty and grace but also in its enduring appeal and connotations throughout the history of Chinese culture. As a traditional cultural symbol of China, peonies inspire Chinese people to reflect on their usage and take pride in their culture. In the modern age, the myriad renderings of the peony continue to impress generations of Chinese people and artists, filling them with self-confidence in their creative potential and motivating them to pursue their dreams.