Strange as it may seem, the tree peony has played an important diplomatic role in history. For example, in the wake of the monk Jianzhen's journey to Japan to spread Chinese culture during the Tang Dynasty, a Japanese monk called Kukai visited China. When he returned to Japan, he brought tree peonies with him. This sparked the cultivation of a brand new variety of peony, the "winter tree peony", which was later introduced into China, its ancestral homeland. So, if anyone has any doubts about the deep roots binding together two great East Asian civilizations, just ask the tree peony!