Every April, Luoyang — the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties — explodes into color for the world's grandest flower festival.
Only the peony is truly the king of flowers; when it blooms, the whole city forgets its troubles.
In April, the city of Luoyang in central China turns into a garden. Peonies — which the Chinese call the “king of flowers” — cover parks, streets and courtyards in every shade from white to deep purple. The Luoyang Peony Festival has been held every spring since 1983, drawing millions to see a flower that has been cultivated in China for over 1,500 years.
Peonies are woven into Chinese culture: they appear on silk, porcelain, New Year paintings and wedding decorations as symbols of wealth, honor and spring. The poet Liu Yuxi wrote that “only the peony is truly the national color”. The city's famous Wangcheng Park grows more than a thousand varieties, some with names like poetry: “Snow in the Pavilion”, “Imperial Red”.
A spring trip to Luoyang is a full day of color: the peony gardens, the Longmen Grottoes carved into limestone cliffs, and bowls of the city's famous soup noodles. Bring a camera, wear comfortable shoes, and let the king of flowers explain why the Chinese believe spring is worth celebrating.
