Heze City in Shandong Province, celebrated as the world’s peony capital, has launched the 2025 World Peony Conference alongside its 34th International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival. The event highlights over 1,300 peony varieties spanning nine color systems and ten flower types, showcasing China’s botanical innovation and cultural heritage.
Heze’s peonies, already popular across the Chinese mainland, have become a global phenomenon, exported to more than 30 countries and regions such as the U.S., Russia, and Germany. Their vivid colors and intricate forms symbolize prosperity in Chinese tradition, bridging cultures through floral diplomacy.
Local officials emphasize how peony cultivation drives economic growth, with agri-tourism and exports boosting rural revitalization. The festival also features art exhibits and cross-cultural exchanges, underlining the flower’s role in connecting global audiences to Asia’s natural beauty.
