Exhibition celebrates Chinese peony, 'king of flowers'

Hangzhou, the heart of Jiangnan culture, and Heze, the heart of Qilu culture, are collaborating for the first time to highlight peony culture.

The Hangzhou-Heze Dual City Peony Exhibition, running through April 15 at Hangzhou's Liuhe Pagoda Cultural Park, showcases horticulture traditions of two cities in a great celebration of the Chinese peony, the "king of flowers" in Chinese culture.

Heze, a city in Shandong Province, has been China's Peony Capital for generations. The city also boasts the world's largest peony cultivation base, home to 1,280 varieties of peonies.

During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), when Hangzhou became the capital, the tradition of admiring peonies was established. Scholars of the time immortalized peonies in poetry and art, transforming the flower into a symbol of elegance and prosperity.

In history, Liuhe Pagoda underwent development into a royal garden early in Wuyue Kingdom (AD 948–978). In 2007, Hangzhou government began to rejuvenate the millennium-old peony event in the ancient garden. Ever since, the park's yearly peony display has grown into a magnificent springtime horticultural event.

This year, the exhibition features three additional venues, all free of charge: Linping Park, Yuhang Puning Ancient Peony Garden, and Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond Park on the West Lake.

Over 800 cultivars are blooming at the exhibition, including 180 potted varieties and 10 new hybrids. Highlights include the Fragrant Jade peony, a 100-year-old Heze variety renowned for its 20-centimeter-wide petals with intensely perfumed blossoms, and famous Jiangnan varieties like Fengdanbai and Yulouchun.

If you go

Date: Through April 15

Venue: Liuhe Pagoda Cultural Park

Admission: 20 yuan (US$2.75) per person