'Cathay' tulip named by Peng Liyuan shines in Beijing

A new strain of tulip, "Cathay", named by China's first lady Peng Liyuan made its debut on Feb 11 at the Beijing Botanical Garden as one of the biggest highlights of a flower show. The flower exhibition will run through April 5.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/asianewsphoto.com]

This purple tulip, from the Netherlands, was named "Cathay" during Peng's visit to the Netherlands last year. Although it is customary in the Netherlands to name new tulips after celebrities, Peng didn’t name the tulip after herself. "Cathay" is the old name for China once used in the Netherlands. In Chinese it translates as "Guo Tai", meaning "prosperous country". The "Cathay" tulip has feathery leaf edges, and the petals are dark purple, which is quite rare.