Peony power: China's unofficial national flower gives city a boost

Dubbed China's 'peony capital', Heze accounts for over 85 per cent of the country's peony seedling supply.

- Joyce ZK Lim

HEZE, Shandong - There is no mistaking what this city, in the agricultural heartland that is China's central plain, wants to be remembered for.

Heze Mudan Airport bears the name of the peony flower, and visitors moving through the arrival hall cannot help but notice the pots containing voluminous blooms in vibrant hues of pink and purple.

It is a preview of the explosion of colour in this part of Shandong province each April, when tourists flock to peony gardens for close-ups with what is often regarded as China's unofficial national flower, beloved by many poets and painters.

But Heze - one of China's many third-tier cities - also aims to use these blossoms to boost its profile and economy.

Peonies are the "calling card" and a "representative product" of Heze, said local businessman Zhang Fang.

His company is an industry leader among more than 120 peony-related businesses in the city, which deal in not just the flowers but also upwards of 260 products made from parts of the plant. From peony seed oil to peony toothpaste, peony tea, peony cosmetics and even peony eggs, you name it and Heze has it.

The city's peonies are no longer confined to gardens, but turned into various shapes and forms to be sold online, displayed at supermarket shelves and even marketed to consumers abroad.

In the broader scheme of things, Heze's peony industry makes up just a small fraction of its gross domestic product, at under 3 per cent in 2024.

But the rapidly growing sector, Mr Zhang believes, will "drive the economic development of Heze more and more".

CHINA'S 'PEONY CAPITAL' Peonies have been grown for centuries in China, prized for their medicinal properties and ornamental value.

While the flowers are more commonly associated with the former imperial capital of Luoyang, a hot spot for peony tourism, it is Heze that is China's main peony production base.