Peony industry blooms amid flowering commerce

Every day from 11 am to around 5 pm, Huang Lianfeng welcomes hundreds of diners to his farmhouse restaurant in Dianjiang county, in Southwest China's Chongqing, as the peony blossom season reaches its peak.

Spring sees visitors from across the country and abroad flock to the scenic county to admire the vibrant blooms blanketing the vast peony fields.

Dianjiang's peony cultivation history dates back more than 2,000 years. The local peonies are famed for their large blossoms, rich colors and early blooming period, due to the region's unique geographical conditions and mild climate.

In recent years, local authorities have vigorously promoted the peony industry, which has become a vital component of the local tourism scene and rural revitalization efforts.

According to Chang Chuan, deputy director of the county's peony office, Dianjiang now boasts over 1,333 hectares of peony plantations and cultivates 256 varieties.

For villagers like Huang, the flourishing industry has brought new opportunities.

Since leasing his farmland to a company to develop a peony-themed tourist attraction, he no longer relies on labor-intensive farming. He opened a farmhouse restaurant with his family, offering local dishes to visitors.

The booming peony industry has given him hope for a better future.

"We plan to upgrade our restaurant by improving our services and flavors to attract more customers," Huang says.

The industry has also encouraged more villagers to seek employment closer to home. Many, already skilled in peony cultivation, have seamlessly transitioned to tourism-related jobs.

Statistics show the industry has helped increase incomes for 12,000 local farming households across Dianjiang, with each household earning an additional 2,800 yuan ($389) on average annually.

In March, Dianjiang received 3.6 million tourists, generating 2.56 billion yuan in revenue. During the recent three-day Qingming Festival holiday, in early April, alone, the county welcomed 821,000 tourists, up 17.96 percent year-on-year, with tourism revenue reaching 535 million yuan, a 21.07 percent increase, according to the county's culture and tourism department.

To further tap into the cultural and economic value of its floral heritage, Dianjiang has hosted a peony culture festival for 26 consecutive years. The festival blends local cultural, tourism, sports, artistic and commercial elements to create a signature event, including marathons and village tourism fairs.

"The Dianjiang peony has been passed down for millennia, and its cultural significance continues to thrive," says Mao Ping, Party secretary of Dianjiang county.

"The peony culture festival has also become one of the most influential cultural tourism events in the country."

Beyond their ornamental value, Dianjiang's peonies are also valued for their medicinal properties. The county has actively explored the potential of moutan cortex, the root bark of the peony, which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for promoting circulation and reducing inflammation.

In 2024, the county produced 320 tonnes of moutan cortex, generating an output value of 62 million yuan.

The higher average paeonol content in Dianjiang's moutan cortex has even won customers in international markets, including Japan and countries in Southeast Asia, according to Chang.

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