HEZE -- The 2024 Peony International Communication Forum opened on Friday in the city of Heze, known as the "peony capital of China", with hundreds of diplomats, experts and company representatives taking part, sharing their views on this celebrated floral culture and exploring ways to develop the industry.

The forum aims to promote China's peony culture, and boost dialogue and cooperation between China and the rest of the world.
Peony, a traditional floral symbol of China, symbolizes beauty and prosperity, and is widely admired by the many international attendees at the event held in east China's Shandong Province.

Poornima Gunasekera, minister and deputy chief mission of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China, said the flowers are expected to help cultural diplomacy, and she has seen the city's efforts to take Chinese peony culture onto the global stage.

"Particularly how Heze, Shandong Province has tried to bring peony flower culture to the international world, it's amazing. We have a lot to learn about it, and also how they help cultural diplomacy. It's very helpful for all the other countries," she said.

More than 300 guests from 10 countries and regions around the world were invited to participate in the annual feast on peonies, and they were invited to enjoy the flowers in the majestic Chinese Peony Garden and pay visits to peony deep-processing companies.

"Just one flower, it develops into a lot of things. It's not only culture. I see it as an industrial thing. When you have the center just for peonies, and of course the economic value of it. That's nice. I really enjoy looking at the flowers and, of course, [hearing] the stories behind it," said Elisa Marie Paul, first secretary of the Embassy of Malaysia in China.

Heze is the world's largest base for peony breeding, cultivation, research, processing, export and appreciation. The city, with more than 10 large-scale peony gardens, now grows more than 260 square kilometers of peonies and produces around 10 million ornamental peony seedlings every year.

The city is also home to more than 100 companies producing, processing, and exporting peony products, like peony seed oil, tea, cosmetics and medicine, with the products being exported to more than 30 countries and regions worldwide.