Experience the national beauty and heavenly fragrance, admire the splendid tapestry of the business capital - Zhengzhou Botanical Garden

Recently, the 14th Peony and Peony Flower Exhibition in Zhengzhou in 2024 was held simultaneously at the Zhengzhou Botanical Garden, Zhengzhou People's Park, and Bisha Gang Park exhibition areas. At noon on April 14th, after the rain cleared and the sun shone brightly, with blue skies and white clouds, and the spring atmosphere was vibrant, we took the B502 bus from the west square of Zhengzhou Railway Station and arrived at the south gate of Zhengzhou Botanical Garden after about half an hour. Entering the park, tall and majestic French parasol trees stood like sentinels on both sides of the walkway. The environment here is beautiful, with green trees providing shade, lush branches and leaves, dense vegetation, a natural oxygen bar, flowers blooming profusely, competing in beauty and fragrance, birds singing among the flowers, and the lake water rippling - a world of spring greenery and a sea of flowers. Unconsciously, we arrived at the peony and peony garden exhibition area, where the national beauty and heavenly fragrance of the peony fairies awaited like hosts to welcome guests from all directions. The dignified and luxurious peonies of various kinds were in full bloom, colorful and dazzling in the sea of flowers, dazzling and refreshing to the onlookers. The place was bustling with people, not only the elderly but also women and children, as well as intimately paired lovers and best friends, who were all chatting and laughing joyfully, stopping to watch and photograph these beautiful moments. The peony varieties here are numerous, mostly from the peony genes of Luoyang and Heze, with a small number of Japanese peony varieties introduced. The colors of the peonies here include red, pink, pinkish-yellow, white, and even purplish-red and black. Not only are there rare lantern peonies, but also distinctive white phoenix peonies, pouch peonies, general red peonies, cinnabar peonies, silver-red clever match peonies, black gold shining peonies, Hua Er Qiao peonies, Zhao pink peonies, and Japanese Shimakin peonies. Here, there are not only the planted Central Plains peony populations but also the Jiangnan peony populations, and the addition of peony lotus platforms adds to the splendor. The peony is China's national flower, known as 'the national beauty and heavenly fragrance, the king of flowers.' On June 1, 1992, the People's Bank of China issued the fourth set of RMB coins, which for the first time adopted floral patterns in their design. For example, the 1 yuan peony coin symbolizes dignity and auspicious wealth. The 50-cent plum blossom coin represents the tenacious and enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation. The 10-cent chrysanthemum coin symbolizes national peace and good fortune. Many literary figures in history have written immortal poems about peonies that are still popular and enduring. For example, the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi's 'Admiring the Peonies': The peonies in front of the courtyard are enchantingly out of place, the lotuses on the pond are pure but lack affection. Only the peony truly represents the national beauty, and its blooming season moves the capital city. And Tang Dynasty poet Xu Ning's 'Peony': Who doesn't love the peony flower, claiming the best of the city's treasures. It seems to be the work of a goddess from Luo River, with a thousand charming and varied postures breaking the morning glow. Using flowers as a medium not only enhances the city's image, promotes the development of tourism, transportation, and other industries, expands domestic demand, promotes economic development, builds a harmonious society, popularizes Chinese culture, and continuously meets the growing spiritual, cultural, and material needs of the people, which has very important practical significance and profound historical significance. Coming to the botanical garden in the bright spring, by admiring the peony flowers, we not only exercised our bodies but also enjoyed the natural oxygen bar of nature, took deep breaths along the way, and gained a further understanding of the national beauty and heavenly fragrance of the peony, the design of the RMB, and green environmental protection. We learned about the historical literary masters' praise of the peony, appreciated the profoundness of Chinese culture, and truly had a fulfilling experience, feasting our eyes and lingering in reluctance to leave. Walking in the afterglow of the setting sun, we ended our half-day tour and returned home by the same route.