Posted ByChina7day
Peony is known as “the king of flowers” and “the natural beauty of the country”. The flowers are huge, gorgeous and elegant. They have been loved by the people for thousands of years. Peony culture originated in China. In 1972, it was found in the Eastern Han Dynasty tomb in Wuwei, Gansu Province. Peony became a horticultural ornamental plant before it formed its unique culture. In the historical book “records of Haishan”, Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty set up 200 Li as the west garden, harmonizing the world into flowers, and Yizhou into 20 boxes of peonies, which proves that there were already artificially cultivated peonies in Sui Dynasty, and most of them were planted in royal gardens. And the development and prosperity of peony culture, and loved by the world is in the Tang Dynasty. It coincides with a relatively stable and prosperous era in Chinese history. From the “governance of Zhenguan” to the “heyday of the Kaiyuan era”, the cultivation and appreciation of peony has also entered a prosperous stage, and the peony culture has also begun to flourish and develop. Therefore, some ancient scholars wrote that “since the Tang Dynasty, the world loves peony very much.”.
Luoyang is one of the birthplaces of Chinese peony. In the history of China, 13 feudal dynasties successively established their capitals in Luoyang. However, the tide of the years has already washed away the emperors and the generals, and only the peony with all kinds of manners and eternal freshness still shows the eternal youth in this ancient city.
In Tang Dynasty, the cultivation and appreciation of Luoyang Peony were very common. After Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she moved the peony to Luoyang. Since then, it has flourished in Luoyang City. It’s said that on a snowy winter day, Wu Zetian wanted all flowers to open at the same time, so she wrote down the imperial edict of “travel to the garden in the Ming Dynasty, report to the spring as soon as possible; flowers need to be sent overnight, don’t wait for Xiaofeng to urge”. Hundreds of flowers dare not disobey their orders, so they have to open, but the peony is still. Empress Wu was so angry that she ordered to burn the peony. But unexpectedly, the more red the peony was, the more colorful it was. From then on, “Luoyang peony is the best in the world.”.
Luoyang peony planting scale was unprecedented in Song Dynasty. Luoyang, as the west capital, has become the cultivation center of peony. In Ouyang Xiu’s “Luoyang Peony record”, the customs of Luoyang are mostly good flowers. In spring, flowers are planted in the city, even if they are burdened; when the flowers are in bloom, scholars and commoners compete to travel. ” It presents the “climate” of Luoyang Peony viewing at that time, so Shao Yong sighed: “people in Luoyang are used to seeing wonderful flowers, and peach and plum flowers are not flowers. Must be the Peony Blossom prosperous hair, the full city just begins to be joyful boundless The Chinese nation loves a kind of flower on such a large scale, which is unprecedented in Chinese history, while Luoyang is famous for its peony.
Now Luoyang peony has spread all over the Great Wall, North and south of the river, and fragrant overseas. Especially since Luoyang held the peony flower fair, the planting area of peony has increased significantly, from “taking flowers as the medium, making friends widely, propagandizing Luoyang, developing economy” to “setting up the stage of flower fair, singing of economy and trade tourism, setting up the stage of government and singing of enterprises”, which has made great achievements through unremitting efforts.