Luoyang Peony Fair

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Luoyang Peony Fair

Applicant: Luoyang City, Henan Province

Project No.: 1010

Project No.: Ⅹ - 103

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Henan Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Luoyang City, Henan Province

Protection unit: Luoyang Cultural Center (Luoyang Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center)

Introduction to Luoyang Peony Fair

Applicant: Luoyang City, Henan Province

Peony is one of the famous flowers in China, known as "king of flowers". Peony cultivation originated from Heluo and has a history of more than 1600 years. As one of the peony cultivation centers, Luoyang had systematic flower planting skills as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, and formed the flower appreciation custom and peony related poems, paintings, legends, costumes, etc., which derived from Luoyang peony culture.

Luoyang used to be Tokyo in Tang Dynasty, with convenient transportation and prosperous trade. There are many gardens in the city. Almost every family has the tradition of planting peonies, and the appreciation of flowers is very popular. The poems of Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi are vivid portrayals of the appreciation of peonies in Luoyang, the Eastern capital. Since the Song Dynasty, the custom of appreciating peonies has become more popular among the people. Ouyang Xiu's Luoyang Peony records describes that "the custom of Luoyang is mostly good at flowers. In spring, flowers are arranged in the city, even though the burden is the same. When the flowers bloom, the scholars and the common people compete to roam around. They often visit the old temple where there is a pool and a platform, and open a curtain to sing songs Let the flowers fall There are more than 100 varieties of peony in Luoyang in Song Dynasty, many of which are very valuable. Among them, "Yao Huang" and "Wei Zi" are known as "the king of peony" and "the queen of peony", which are especially favored by people.

Since 1982, peony has become the "city flower" of Luoyang. From April 15 to 25 every year, the "Luoyang peony flower fair" is held in combination with the peony flowering period (the rainy season). During the flower festival, the visitors carried out cultural activities around peony, such as appreciating flowers, watching lanterns, painting, and writing poems, which made the peony culture in Luoyang develop continuously.