Oil-Yielding Peony Industry in China: A Major Move in Building …
291
6. Oil-yielding peony conveys profound cultural significance and can help
build up cultural confidence of Chinese nation
In China, peonies have long been an important part of traditional culture as a symbol
of good fortune, wealth, and prosperity. The Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing
collection of Chinese poetry compiled over 3000 years ago, contains lines that depict
someone giving peonies to their beloved to show their affection. After Yang Guang,
Emperor Yang of Sui, succeeded to the throne in 604 A.D., he issued an imperial
order proclaiming peonies as the national flower, the first national flower in human
history. Peonies were considered the national flower in the Tang, Song, and Ming
dynasties and explicitly designated as the national flower in the Qing dynasty.
Fast forward to modern times, all generations of Party and state leaders have
showed appreciation for peonies. In 1939, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and other leaders
went to Wanhua Hill at the foot of Baota Mountain in Yan’an to admire the beauty
of peonies. In 1959, Zhou paid a visit to Luoyang together with foreign guests
and said to them, “peonies are the national flower of China. They are gorgeous
and elegant, symbolizing prosperity and happiness.” In 1994, the National People’s
Congress instructed then Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress Chen Muhua and Minister of Agriculture He Kang to lead a
national flower selection, which was organized by China Flower Association. Based
on the opinions solicited from all sides, peonies topped the national flower shortlist
with 58.06% of votes. The Commemorative Album of the Selected National Flowers
of Some Participating Countries published during the 1999 Kunming International
Horticultural Exposition features peonies with a caption “National flower of China—
Peonies (TBD)”; despite the word “TBD,” this fully reflects the unrivalled status of
peonies as the national flower of China.
The giant panda, also native to China, has become a symbol and a goodwill
ambassador of the country. The cherry blossom, or sakura, is one of Japan’s national
flowers and holds a special place in Japanese culture. According to Japanese records,
the cherry blossom originated in the Himalayas in China’s territory and later found its
way to Japan. At the grand gathering celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding
of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that we
should “remember where we started in the first place and keep moving forward.”
This means that we should stick to the Four-sphere Confidence, namely confidence
in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Xi
also highlights that cultural confidence is a kind of more fundamental, extensive,
and profound confidence. Vigorously developing the oil-yielding peony industry
throughout the country to meet our people’s needs for healthy and high-quality foods
and gain a foothold in the international market is an important way to boost our
cultural confidence and carry forward the traditional peony culture.
291
6. Oil-yielding peony conveys profound cultural significance and can help
build up cultural confidence of Chinese nation
In China, peonies have long been an important part of traditional culture as a symbol
of good fortune, wealth, and prosperity. The Classic of Poetry, the oldest existing
collection of Chinese poetry compiled over 3000 years ago, contains lines that depict
someone giving peonies to their beloved to show their affection. After Yang Guang,
Emperor Yang of Sui, succeeded to the throne in 604 A.D., he issued an imperial
order proclaiming peonies as the national flower, the first national flower in human
history. Peonies were considered the national flower in the Tang, Song, and Ming
dynasties and explicitly designated as the national flower in the Qing dynasty.
Fast forward to modern times, all generations of Party and state leaders have
showed appreciation for peonies. In 1939, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and other leaders
went to Wanhua Hill at the foot of Baota Mountain in Yan’an to admire the beauty
of peonies. In 1959, Zhou paid a visit to Luoyang together with foreign guests
and said to them, “peonies are the national flower of China. They are gorgeous
and elegant, symbolizing prosperity and happiness.” In 1994, the National People’s
Congress instructed then Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress Chen Muhua and Minister of Agriculture He Kang to lead a
national flower selection, which was organized by China Flower Association. Based
on the opinions solicited from all sides, peonies topped the national flower shortlist
with 58.06% of votes. The Commemorative Album of the Selected National Flowers
of Some Participating Countries published during the 1999 Kunming International
Horticultural Exposition features peonies with a caption “National flower of China—
Peonies (TBD)”; despite the word “TBD,” this fully reflects the unrivalled status of
peonies as the national flower of China.
The giant panda, also native to China, has become a symbol and a goodwill
ambassador of the country. The cherry blossom, or sakura, is one of Japan’s national
flowers and holds a special place in Japanese culture. According to Japanese records,
the cherry blossom originated in the Himalayas in China’s territory and later found its
way to Japan. At the grand gathering celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding
of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that we
should “remember where we started in the first place and keep moving forward.”
This means that we should stick to the Four-sphere Confidence, namely confidence
in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Xi
also highlights that cultural confidence is a kind of more fundamental, extensive,
and profound confidence. Vigorously developing the oil-yielding peony industry
throughout the country to meet our people’s needs for healthy and high-quality foods
and gain a foothold in the international market is an important way to boost our
cultural confidence and carry forward the traditional peony culture.