Photo: Lou Kang/GT

One of the significant cultural symbols locally and even nationally, the 2024 International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival kicked off on Monday in Heze, East China's Shandong Province.

With more than 32,000 hectares of peony farms in Heze, there are more than 400 species of peonies across 10 scenic gardens, including the famous Caozhou Peony Garden, China Peony Garden, and Baihua Garden, providing visitors with an immersive introduction into the profound cultural herit-age of the region.

In traditional Chinese culture, peonies are often associated with wealth, honor, prosperity and hap-piness, symbolizing luxuriousness and magnificence.

"Peony culture has always been intertwined with the economic development of our civilization. Pe-onies on things such as brick carvings or peony decorations have already been integrated into peo-ple's daily lives," said Shan Jixiang, chairman of the China Cultural Relics Academy and director of the Academic Committee of the Palace Museum, during the opening ceremony.

The history of peony cultivation in Heze can be traced back to 1,000 years ago. It first got its start in the Sui Dynasty (581-618), flourished during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and reached a peak in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. The city is now renowned for its large flowers with beautiful blooms and vibrant colors.

Photo: Lou Kang/GT

Every spring, Heze becomes a hot spot as peonies bloom, attracting a large number of tourists. Popu-lar destinations like peony gardens offer visitors the chance to embrace the beauty of spring by en-joying a variety of peonies.

This year, influenced by cultural and tourism development trends, the peony festival will also serve as an important part of local international peony tourism.

A total of 43 activities, including hanfu (a type of traditional Chinese clothing), garden tours, intan-gible cultural heritage exhibitions and staged performances, will be launched at the same time. Local authorities have introduced 15 tourism routes incorporating garden tours and intangible cultural her-itage and have upgraded and renovated local flower appreciation areas.

"We are introducing cultural peony routes for visitors to experience the splendor and luxury of peo-nies," said Wang Bingchun, a deputy director of Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, during the opening ceremony.

This year's peony festival will run until May 15.

Luoyang, an ancient capital city in Central China's Henan Province, is also hosting a peony culture festival, which will last to early May.