The 2013 International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival is scheduled to open on April 16 in Heze, Shandong province, according to the provincial Government Information Office.

More than 40 cultural and business activities will be held during the event, including the opening ceremony, a national peony product show, a peony wedding ceremony, a flower arrangement art show, the international Miss Peony contest, trade talks and various art performances.

The annual event has been held for 21 years running since 1992 and has attracted a total of 52 million tourists from all over the world. It has also served as an important platform to help the local government sign more than 400 foreign investment contracts.

According to Huang Xiuling, deputy mayor of Heze, the city has long been famous for peonies, the national flower of China. It now cultivates an area of 8,000 hectares of peonies and is home to over 30 peony seeding bases and 200 greenhouses.

Heze is China’s largest base for peony production, observation, scientific research and trade. It was recognized as the “Peony Capital” by the China Flower Association in 2012.

By Wang Qian (China Daily Shandong Bureau)