Peony flowers are always prized by folks for their beauty, fragrance and cultural significance. Peonies from Heze city – located in East China's Shandong province – have gained a worldwide reputation for their quality. The modern story of Heze's peony exports can be traced back to the 1950s and 60s.

Since the country's reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, Heze peonies have been introduced to numerous countries – including Japan, Thailand, the United States, France, the Netherlands and Germany – where peony gardens have been established to showcase their splendor.

But it was 1990 that marked a pivotal moment with the first large-scale export of Heze's peonies. That's when a Chinese peony garden was established in Japan's Shimane prefecture – a tourist hotspot, famed for its beauty – opening the door for substantial peony exports.

Then in 1993, Heze presented 200 peony plants from 50 varieties to Thailand, sending peony experts from the city to advise on the planting and cultivation of the flowers. These peonies were planted in the border areas of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.

In recent years, Heze peonies and their derivatives have graced various significant events both domestically and internationally.

In 2016, 200 bottles of peony seed oil produced by a Heze-based manufacturer were shipped to New York, marking the first successful entry of Chinese peony seed oil into the international catering market.

More recently, a head-turning display organized by Heze of 5,200 peony pots at the 10th China Flower Expo held in Shanghai in 2021 charmed many visitors and showcased the city's peony sector.

To top that, over 100 peony pots from Heze adorned the National Olympic Sports Center in Beijing during the preparation and hosting of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, adding a touch of elegance and pizzazz to the event.

All in all, Heze's peonies – with their vibrant colors, captivating fragrance and auspicious symbolism – have become a global ambassador of beauty, friendship and cultural exchanges.