Louyang Peony Festival

e x plor e
Trevor Nottle
Luoyang
peony festival
Visit Luoyang in China with Trevor Nottle and
experience the magic and colour of the tree peony.
T
64
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
I m a g e i S t o c k . c o m © e ga l
I m ag e s T r e vor N o t t l e
ree peonies are enjoying a revival of interest lately, so much
so that hundreds of named varieties have been exported to
Australia from China in recent times and
are gradually finding their way into gardens. Interest has expanded into garden
tourism too, and specialised tours to the
centres of peony culture in China
are now available.
In Chinese traditional
medicine, tree peony roots
are used for a variety of purposes,
sometimes
steeped
in
rice wine, but
most
often
as a powder
ground from
the dried roots.
This is by far
the largest crop
grown in the
centres of production
around
Luoyang. In the main,
the plants are those of
Paeonia ostia, a recently
identified species that has
been cultivated for several thousand
years. It varies in producing white or
pink semi-double flowers in spring.
Many hundreds of hectares are grown
as a field crop. The plants are dug in autumn and air-dried over winter in sheds
before being sold to apothecaries for use.
Alongside these rather plain flowers
smaller crops of tree peonies are grown
for their gorgeous flowers alone. Over
the course of centuries these plants have
been bred and supplied to wealthy customers as flowering pot plants. The biggest market was for the numerous courtyard gardens of the Forbidden City in
Beijing. Important court officials and rich
merchants also bought tree peonies as
traditional harbingers of spring
that carried with them a
message of longevity
in the language of
flowers. These
plants,
grown
out of their
comfort zone,
were
thrown
away at the end
of the flowering season and
new flowering
plants brought
in from florist’s
nurseries.
Temple gardens
were also places where tree
peonies were collected and displayed. Around the centres of cultivation and breeding, temples featured
massed plantings that were the reason
for holding special festivals during the
flowering time. For most of China’s history the peony gardens were the private
pleasure of emperors, their courtiers
>>
and the very wealthy.
'Black Pearl' is a
dark purplish-red
tree peony, known in
Luoyang show gardens
as 'Hei Zhan Zhu'.
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
65
e x plor e
Trevor Nottle
Luoyang
peony festival
Visit Luoyang in China with Trevor Nottle and
experience the magic and colour of the tree peony.
T
64
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
I m a g e i S t o c k . c o m © e ga l
I m ag e s T r e vor N o t t l e
ree peonies are enjoying a revival of interest lately, so much
so that hundreds of named varieties have been exported to
Australia from China in recent times and
are gradually finding their way into gardens. Interest has expanded into garden
tourism too, and specialised tours to the
centres of peony culture in China
are now available.
In Chinese traditional
medicine, tree peony roots
are used for a variety of purposes,
sometimes
steeped
in
rice wine, but
most
often
as a powder
ground from
the dried roots.
This is by far
the largest crop
grown in the
centres of production
around
Luoyang. In the main,
the plants are those of
Paeonia ostia, a recently
identified species that has
been cultivated for several thousand
years. It varies in producing white or
pink semi-double flowers in spring.
Many hundreds of hectares are grown
as a field crop. The plants are dug in autumn and air-dried over winter in sheds
before being sold to apothecaries for use.
Alongside these rather plain flowers
smaller crops of tree peonies are grown
for their gorgeous flowers alone. Over
the course of centuries these plants have
been bred and supplied to wealthy customers as flowering pot plants. The biggest market was for the numerous courtyard gardens of the Forbidden City in
Beijing. Important court officials and rich
merchants also bought tree peonies as
traditional harbingers of spring
that carried with them a
message of longevity
in the language of
flowers. These
plants,
grown
out of their
comfort zone,
were
thrown
away at the end
of the flowering season and
new flowering
plants brought
in from florist’s
nurseries.
Temple gardens
were also places where tree
peonies were collected and displayed. Around the centres of cultivation and breeding, temples featured
massed plantings that were the reason
for holding special festivals during the
flowering time. For most of China’s history the peony gardens were the private
pleasure of emperors, their courtiers
>>
and the very wealthy.
'Black Pearl' is a
dark purplish-red
tree peony, known in
Luoyang show gardens
as 'Hei Zhan Zhu'.
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
65
e x plor e
A
B
C
A. 'Bing Shou Xue Lian' translates as 'Icy Mountain
Snow Lotus', a rather curious naming by Western
standards, but confirms the close links between
culture and flowers that has long been typical of
China. b. 'Da Qian Shi Jie', 'The Boundless Universe'
is a new peony that reflects modern China in its nontraditional name. It also neatly conveys the idea of
universal brotherhood associated with Communism.
C. A beautiful sea of peonies ready for festival visitors.
After the People’s Revolution, these
gardens and celebrations were threatened, particularly during the Cultural Revolution, but somehow many varieties were
preserved and are now making a strong
contribution to horticulture and tourism.
With temples now repaired and the gardens remade, cities such as Luoyang have
resumed holding their traditional festivals.
The first peony festival of the modern era
was held in 1983.
Flowering is variable but generally
the peak flowering period is between
early April and early May. Local tourism
66
agencies provide information every year
ancient scrolls with water-colour illustrations; others are modern printed books
about when the season is most likely to
in English such as Chinese Tree Peony by
be at its best.
Most of the peony gardens are found
Wang Lianying (1998) and Peony Rockii
around old palaces, ruins and temples and
and Gansu Mudan by Dezhong Chen and
many have been given modern names folWill McLewin (2006).
lowing the Revolution. Among these is the
The enormous plethora of Chinese
Luoyang National Peony Garden which is
names can be rather confusing, such as
one of the oldest gardens to grow and re‘Bing Shang Fei Cui’ (‘Icy Mountain Green
produce peonies in China. There are over
Jade’) and ‘Geng Shang Yi Ceng Lou’ (‘Aim
a million peony trees of 1,200 different
Higher Still’), but they at least have the saving grace of being gentle on the ear. Comkinds. Especially famous is the 1,600-yearpare them with some European hybrids
old and 3-meter-high ‘Peony King’.
Shenzhou Peony Garden is found
noted by English connoisseur Reginald
adjacent to the White Horse Temple, a
Farrer in 1910; ‘Mrs Erasmus Potter’, ‘Madame Hector de Telles-Quelles’ and ‘Frau
restored pagoda and temple complex
Oberhoffgärthnerin Schlagenbuschenheim’.
constructed on traditional lines. The
Can these have been real?
numbers of peonies are not huge, but
Real enough though are the glorious
the setting is magical.
Xiyuan Park was built on the site of
flowers of tree peonies that are most often admired close up and individually.
Xiyuan ruins, the palace of Emperor Yangdi. It was built on his orders for
Rarely is it possible to see in
watching peonies and appreWestern gardens masses
ciating bonsais. Another
of blooms except in the
garden attached to an
gardens of a few grand
“Around
historic ruin is at
estates in Europe,
the centres
Wangcheng ruins,
England and the
the site of the capUSA, but even
of cultivation and
ital of the Zhou
these are as nothbreeding, temples
ing alongside the
Dynasty. While
featured massed plantings
hectares of flownot large, the
ers that can be
peonies are disthat were the reason
played in a very
seen in Luoyang,
for holding special
attractive setting.
China. Fortunatefestivals during the
ly, travelling to
Next to the Muflowering time.”
seum of Ancient
see them is not the
Tombs is a peony viewmilitary exercise of
ing garden with a long
group tour that it once
history and a rich peony culused to be. China has now
ture; Luoyang National Flower Gardeveloped a more relaxed attitude
den is famous for its 150-year-old ‘Changtowards foreign tourists; they actually do
souhong’ (red peony) and 120-year-old
not want anyone to get lost so things are
‘Changsouzi’ (purple peony). Such venerwell signposted in English, itineraries can
able plants are tended with skilled care
be specialised and negotiated, translators
by gardeners who carry on ancient skills
accompany every excursion and preferential bookings can be made to gain adof propagation, breeding, grafting, forcing
mittance to gardens instead of queueing.
early flowers and cultivation.
Some tour organisers now claim they do
The largest garden is a modern one
not visit shops, stores, factories or tourist
built as a tourist attraction and national
traps! That being said, while it is virtually
flower garden, a name that indicates it is
impossible to bring peony plants home,
regarded as a site of national cultural importance. This is Luoyang International
there are peonies embroidered on jackets, slippers, handkerchiefs, scarves and
Peony Garden which features more than
table-cloths, as well as peonies painted
600,000 tree peonies in a park setting
on just about every imaginable object
large enough to accommodate thousands
and carved in jade, soapstone, wood and
of visitors at flowering time.
cinnabar. Who would begrudge a tourist
Lengthy catalogues of Chinese tree
from just a little shopping?
peonies have been published. Some are
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
JUMP INTO
THE NOW.
ALL 2500 KM
OF IT.
In Ireland we live in the now.
And now doesn’t always follow
an itinerary. So take time to
savor the majesty of the Cliffs
of Moher, the warmth of
Galway’s musicians and the
beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way.
In the now, every road leads
somewhere memorable. Come
and share the now with us.
Visit Ireland.com
The Garden Guru Magazine / Issue No. 56 / Spring 2015
67