Blooming creativity: floral arrangement courses trending in Kunming

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In 1999, the city of Kunming held the International Horticultural Expo — the first time the event was hosted in China. The southwestern city is home to most of China’s exotic plants and Asia’s largest flower market. And now, floral design courses are also becoming popular.

Millennial Wang Huiji started to teach flower arrangements right after university graduation. She told CGTN that when doing floral designs, people need to pick flowers with different saturation and lightness.

"When we pick light colored ones, we need to create contrast by adding those with richer colors," said Wang.

Florist Wang Huiji is teaching an entry level class of six — all students come from outside the city. /CGTN Photo

Wang studied horticulture and gardening, and she sees her teaching job as something that brings joy both to others and herself.

"It could be tiring sometimes, but I feel so satisfied when seeing my work," she said.

Wang Huiji is just one of the hundreds of florists teaching others in Kunming's Dounan International Flower Center — Asia's largest flower market by volume. A majority of her students are from outside the city, and even from other provinces.

"I am from Guizhou Province and planning to open my own floral shop. I think it's important for me to learn a few tricks before serving others," said Zeng Qi, a student who is taking an entry-level course with Wang Huiji.

Luo Jun owns his own flower shop that specializes in flower decoration for weddings. /CGTN Photo

An entry level course lasts about two weeks. Students like Zeng Qi have to pay the tuition and cover their own living expenses while away from home — but, they think it's worth it, as opening a flower shop is seen as a good business move. Based on some estimates, the profit margin could be as high as 70 percent.

But for others, this is simply a hobby. The number of students has increased by 20 percent in the first four months this year compared to the same period last year.

And these days, more and more men are becoming interested in flower arrangements. Male florist Luo Jun has worked in floral designs for a decade. About 20 percent of his students are male. He thinks as people's lives improve, more will learn to appreciate this type of artistry.

"Nowadays some white-collar workers are willing to spend money to enjoy their lives — by taking part in floral design workshops, for example. And those workshops now also incorporate other activities to make it more fun, such as baking and tea ceremonies," said Luo.

He thinks one day the male to female ratio in his class would hit 50-50. The Dounan International Flower Center in Southwest China's Kunming is home to over ten floral design schools, training 20,000 students each year.