Almost in his 90s, Taiwan veteran Kao Bing-han returned to his hometown in Heze City, Shandong Province, last year. Since 1991, he's dedicated himself to bringing back the ashes of deceased Chinese veterans to their birthplaces on the Chinese mainland. For his efforts, Kao was granted the 2012 "Touching China" award.
When he returned home, Kao was astounded by the development of Heze's peony industry. "I'm overwhelmed by these peony products. There are flowers, seed oil and even cosmetics made from peonies. This is definitely a promising industry. It deserves to be promoted and flourish," said Kao.
Dating back more than 1,500 years, the cultivation of peony flowers has long nurtured the peony culture and industry in the Heze area. As the time is ripe, the 2024 Heze Peony International Communication Forum (HPICF) opens on Friday.
Peonies in full bloom in Heze City, Shandong Province, east China. /CGTN
Nourished by the Yellow River
The city of Heze is renowned as the "hometown of peonies." Heze boasts the largest peony cultivation and research center in the world. As of 2023, the city was home to a collection of more than 1,300 varieties of the species. Having been exported globally since the 1950s, Heze's peonies now account for more than 70 percent of the global peony seed and seedling trade.
With the theme "National beauty nourished by the Yellow River, heavenly fragrance shared by the world," the 2024 HPICF is jointly organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Heze Municipal Committee and the Center for International Cultural Communication of China International Communications Group.
The forum is attended by over 300 guests from a dozen countries and regions. A series of immersive, peony-related activities are offered to guests, experts and scholars.
The main forum features keynote speeches, roundtable discussions and the promotion of the book, "Juye Fine Brushwork Peony Painting." The Heze Peony Going Global Program is promoted on-site, including the Peony Garden Construction Project in Bulgaria and the Peony Cultural Communication Station in Malacca, Malaysia.
"The Chinese peony, with its comprehensive qualities and functions, opens up wide opportunities for application in Bulgaria – from landscape design and decorative arts, to scientific research, and the cosmetic and medical industry," said Katerina Kanevcheva, chief expert at Green Systems Directorate of Sofia City, Bulgaria.
"As a symbol, it can teach us an awful lot about Chinese culture and ancient wisdom," said Dr David Bartosch, Distinguished Research Fellow of Research Institute for Globalization and Cultural Strategies, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai.
"The topic of the peony provides a perfect bridge to other cultures that have cultivated peony flowers, and have their own stories to tell about its beauty," Bartosch added.
The upper streams of the Yellow River are believed to be the place of origin for wild peonies. The agricultural civilization in the river basin proved a rich soil for the peony culture. Various ancient texts are displayed at the forum that document the planting and development of peonies since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in the Heze area.
2024 Heze Peony International Communication Forum, Heze City, Shandong Province, east China, April 12, 2024. /CGTN
Shared by the world
The peony has been distributed from the Yellow River Basin to the rest of the country, and then to the world: the United Kingdom in 1789, the Netherlands in 1656 and Japan in 724 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), according to Pan Lusheng, vice president of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
The peony also served as a diplomatic envoy for communication between ancient China and the world. The strong cultural identity nurtured by the Yellow River has offered a solid foundation for the popularization of the peony culture.
On the other hand, the peony symbolizes peace and prosperity, a happy life and social harmony. As the well-deserved national flower of China, it represents the nation's generosity.
"The peony is a symbol of the region that unites cultures and brings a historical and ancient tradition. And we are proud to be able to have these institutional relationships with Heze," said Helder Lazarotto, mayor of Colombo, Heze's sister city in Brazil.
Ji Yong-mo, Chairman of the South Korea-China Private Sector Economic Cooperation Forum, promoted Heze's peonies by saying, "The peony attracts more and more people from all over the world to China and makes them fall in love with China."
"The peony has become a model for different cultures to learn from and integrate with each other, and is an honest messenger who tells China's story to the world," said Cheng Fangyun, dean of the Peony International Institute, Beijing Forestry University.
The Ceremony of Stamping Peony Theme Commemorative Envelope and Cover takes place before the closing performance of the forum.
(Cover by CGTN)