April ushers in the most beautiful season of the year.

四月，是人间最美的时节。

As cherry blossoms fade, Luoyang's peonies are in full bloom, and Nanyang's roses are ready to burst forth. With rising temperatures, Henan's flower economy is thriving, using "flowers" as a catalyst to fuel a multi-billion yuan industrial chain.

樱花落尽，洛阳牡丹盛放，南阳玫瑰蓄势待发。随着气温升高，河南的赏花经济持续升温，以“花”为媒，带动起一条规模达数十亿元的产业链。

However, while driving local economic growth, the flower economy also faces challenges—short blooming periods, homogenous consumer experiences, and underdeveloped industrial chains. How to break through these seasonal limitations and evolve from a "one-season bloom" to "four-season flourishing" has become a pressing question for cultural and tourism industries across the region.

然而，在促进地方经济发展的同时，赏花经济也面临着一些问题，比如花期短、消费场景同质化严重、产业链短等。如何突破季节性限制，让赏花经济从“一季花开”走向“四季绽放”，实现可持续发展，成为摆在各地文旅产业面前的必答题。

From April 10 to 12, Henan Daily reporters visited Xuchang, Nanyang, Luoyang and other cities, interviewing major growers, business leaders, and researchers to explore how the flower economy can sustain its momentum after the blooms fade.

4月10日至12日，记者前往许昌、南阳、洛阳等地，采访了种植大户、企业负责人和科研人员，探寻赏花经济“花期过后”的突破之道。

Flower Economy Turns Scenic Beauty into Economic Opportunity

赏花经济：让美景变“钱景”

As the spring breeze gently brushes our cheeks, the peony season returns once again.

春风拂面，又到牡丹盛开时。

On April 12, despite strong winds and a sudden temperature drop, the Sui and Tang Dynasties National Heritage Park in Luoyang was still brimming with blooming peonies and throngs of visitors. Tourists snapped photos in front of the blossoms, eager to capture the fleeting beauty with their cameras.

4月12日，尽管狂风呼啸、气温骤降，洛阳隋唐城国家遗址公园内依然牡丹簇拥、游人如织。人们在牡丹前拍照留念，希望用镜头定格这美好的瞬间。

The park bustled with crowds, and nearby hotels and restaurants were packed to capacity. Since the inaugural Peony Festival in 1983, this lively scene has replayed year after year, bringing substantial economic gains to Luoyang through its blooming peonies.

园内人头攒动，周边酒店、餐馆也都爆满。自1983年洛阳举办首届牡丹花会以来，这样的场景年复一年地上演，洛阳也因牡丹赚得盆满钵满。

"Peonies are indeed beautiful, but their blooming period lasts only about 20 days—short and highly concentrated," said Wang Erqiang, Director of the Peony Research Institute at the Luoyang Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences. 

“牡丹虽美，但花期只有20天左右，时间短且集中。”洛阳农林科学院牡丹研究所所长王二强说。

As a result, this season is also the busiest for researchers at the Peony Research Institute. They work daily in the planting bases, observing and documenting peony growth, flower shapes and colors, and bloom durations. According to Wang Erqiang, their research focuses not only on enhancing the purity of the colors but also on extending the blooming period by cultivating early- and late-blooming varieties, thereby lengthening the overall peony viewing season.

正因如此，这段时间也是牡丹研究所科研人员最忙碌的时候。他们每天扎根在牡丹种植基地，观察记录牡丹的生长情况、花朵形态和颜色、花期时长。王二强说，研究的重点不仅是让花色更纯正，还要延长花期，培育出早开和晚开的牡丹，从而拉长整个牡丹花期的观赏时间。

These early- and late-blooming peony varieties are now showcased throughout Luoyang and have won the favor of many visitors. Early-bloomers produce more flowers, bloom 3 to 5 days earlier than regular peonies, and can even bloom again in November. Late-bloomers, on the other hand, come into full bloom around the May Day holiday. Thanks to these varieties, visitors can still admire peonies even after the main blooming season has ended.

如今，这些早开和晚开的牡丹已在洛阳多地展示，受到游客认可。早开的牡丹花朵更多，比普通牡丹早开3至5天，且当年11月还能再次绽放；晚开的牡丹能在五一期间开放。这样一来，即便大部分牡丹花期已过，游客仍能通过这些晚开品种一睹牡丹芳容。

Today, with the completion of the Luoyang Four Seasons Peony Exhibition Hall, visitors can enjoy peonies in full bloom all year round. 

如今，洛阳四季牡丹展览馆建成，游客全年都能看到盛开的牡丹。

The Blooming Business Behind the Scenes: Hidden Worries of the Flower Economy

热闹背后的“花期烦恼”

During interviews, many pointed out that while the flower economy offers significant benefits, it also comes with notable shortcomings and limitations.

采访中，不少人表示，赏花经济有优势，也存在短板和不足。

One key issue is seasonality. Take Luoyang's peonies, for instance—their blooming window lasts just around 20 days, with 80% of related tourism revenue concentrated in April. Cherry blossoms have an even shorter lifespan, typically around 15 days, often leaving related industries in a state of "half-year downtime". Another concern is the serious homogenization of flower festivals. While there are many events themed around blooming seasons, most follow similar formats, lacking innovative experiences to fully engage and retain visitors.

一方面是季节性难题。以洛阳牡丹为例，花期仅20天左右，80%的旅游收入主要集中在4月。樱花花期更短，只有15天左右，相关产业常常陷入“半年闲”。另一方面是同质化竞争严重，各类“花节”繁多，但观赏模式相对缺乏创新，游客体验不够丰富。

How Can the Flower Economy Thrive After Bloom Season Ends?

花期过后，赏花经济如何延续？

According to Zhang Songfeng, head of Luoyang Tiansheng Potted Peony Horticulture Co., Ltd., peony-related sales don't stop when the festival ends—the flower economy remains vibrant. "Peonies can now be sold year-round. We offer both potted and cut flowers. With technological innovation, we've enabled potted peonies to bloom in all seasons," he explained.

洛阳天盛盆栽牡丹园艺有限公司负责人张松峰说，牡丹节过后，牡丹及牡丹花卉的销售并不会停止，赏花经济依然火热。“现在牡丹全年都能卖。一是卖盆栽，二是卖切花。通过科技创新，盆栽牡丹可以实现四季开花。”

Earlier this year, around the Spring Festival, Zhang sold over 50,000 potted peonies. Currently, he moves more than 200 pots a day, mainly to customers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. "People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang love peonies," he said. "There's tremendous consumer demand here—the market potential for both potted and cut peonies is vast."

今年春节前后，张松峰卖了5万多盆花。现在每天能卖200多盆，主要销往江浙一带。他说：“江浙一带很多人喜欢牡丹。牡丹的消费需求潜力巨大，盆栽和切花市场广阔。”

"To keep visitors coming even after the flowers fade, we need to enhance our landscape features and diversify the tourist experience," said a staff member from Tangyun Town in Yanling County.

鄢陵县唐韵小镇工作人员说：“要想让游客花期过后也能留下来，就得增加景观设置，丰富游客体验。”

In March, over 1,000 mu (about 165 acres) of cherry and magnolia blossoms in Tangyun Town burst into full bloom, glowing like clouds at sunrise and gleaming as white as snow. Capitalizing on its rich floral resources, the town curated a series of themed tourism events centered around these blossoms. 

今年3月，唐韵小镇1000多亩樱花、玉兰花进入盛花期，灿若云霞、洁白如雪。依托丰富的花卉主题，小镇精心策划了一系列与樱花、玉兰相关的旅游活动。

During the Qingming Festival, the area welcomed around 40,000 visitors daily. Now, with the cherry blossoms gone and only a few magnolias still in bloom, the scenic spot has quieted considerably. "With the cherry blossoms fading, we've entered a brief off-season," a staff member noted. "Visitor numbers have dropped noticeably."

清明节期间，这里每天有4万名游客。如今走进景区，樱花已谢，部分玉兰花还在开放，游客稀稀落落。工作人员说：“樱花谢了，现在进入了短暂的淡季，游客比较少。”

In Tangyun Town, the reporter noticed numerous traditional houses from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China nestled among the cherry and magnolia trees. It turns out that over 100 old homes from Shanxi and other regions were carefully dismantled, with original components such as bricks, tiles, doors, windows, and wooden beams transported to the scenic area for reconstruction. So far, 23 houses have been rebuilt.

在唐韵小镇，记者看到樱花树和玉兰树间分布着不少清末民初的老房子。原来，他们拆除了山西等地的100多座老房子，将砖瓦、门窗、房梁等原物运到景区进行复建，目前已建成23套。

Through the reconstruction of these historic houses, the scenic area has developed eight themed landscape zones and also rents out the buildings to generate additional income. Their nostalgic charm has even attracted film crews—eight short dramas were shot in Tangyun Town last year. "Looking ahead," a staff member shared, "we'll host a variety of cultural-tourism fusion events and create new attractions to keep drawing visitors even after the flowers fade."

通过复建老房子，景区打造了8个景观区，还将老房子出租增加收入。同时，也因为这些老房子，去年唐韵小镇有8部短剧在此取景拍摄。工作人员说：“今后还会举办各类文旅融合活动，打造新场景，吸引游客花期过后也来游玩。”

How Can the Flower Economy Keep Blooming All Year Round?

赏花经济如何“常开不败”？

While the Chinese roses are just beginning to bud, Chen Xiang, General Manager of Nanyang Jiayin Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., has already been traveling across the country, signing contracts and promoting rose cultivation with unwavering momentum.

月季含苞待放，南阳佳茵农业科技有限公司总经理陈翔却已在全国各地奔波不停，忙着签合同、推广月季。

Chen Xiang isn't in the business of selling flowers directly to consumers—instead, she operates through a franchise model, offering expertise in rose cultivation and cut-flower production. So far, she has established 13 franchise outlets.

陈翔卖花不是零售，而是通过加盟店的形式，售卖月季种植技术和切花技术。目前，她已开设了13家门店。

In Nanyang, flower growers generally feel that there is an oversupply of Chinese roses, which has led to lower prices and slimmer profit margins. Chen Xiang noted that the demand for Chinese roses outside the province holds vast untapped potential, making expansion beyond the province a key strategy for sustaining the flourishing flower economy.

在南阳，花农普遍感觉月季种植有点过剩，导致价格低、利润少。陈翔说，月季在省外有巨大的消费潜力，所以向外省拓展是赏花经济持续火爆的一个重要方向。

Thanks to expanding into out-of-province markets, Chen Xiang's flower sales tripled last year compared to the previous year.

正是因为向外省拓展，陈翔去年的花卉销售额比上一年增长了两倍。

Every year, during the months of April and May, it is the peak season for roses to bloom in Yanling County's Jinyu Xiangcao Manor. The manor boasts a variety of world-renowned roses, including those from France and Damascus, their blossoms swaying in the breeze and filling the air with fragrance. Visitors are captivated by these "admired roses," lingering to enjoy their beauty. 

每年四五月份，是鄢陵县金雨香草庄园玫瑰盛开的时节。庄园里来自法国、大马士革等地的众多世界名品玫瑰摇曳生姿、花香四溢，让游客流连忘返，这些是“可赏之花”。

After undergoing processes such as flower selection, concentration, distillation, and maturation, the harvested roses are transformed into natural essential oils and hydrosols, doubling their value and becoming "functional roses." Some roses are also turned into rose tea, becoming "drinkable roses"... 

经过选花、浓缩、蒸馏、醇化等工序，采摘下来的玫瑰变成了天然精油和纯露，价值翻番，成了“可用之花”。还有些玫瑰被制成玫瑰茶，成了“可饮之花”……

All of this is driven by the power of scientific and technological innovation. Yanling County's Jinyu Xiangcao Manor has established the Xuchang "Aromatic Plant Application and Extraction Research Center" along with flower storage and essential oil extraction workshops, improving the purity of rose essential oil and increasing its oil yield. As a result, the flower economy's industrial chain continues to expand. 

这一切都源于科技创新的力量。鄢陵县金雨香草庄园建成了许昌“芳香植物应用萃取研发中心”，打造了花卉仓储和精油萃取车间，让玫瑰精油萃取香味更纯、出油率更高，赏花经济的产业链也越来越长。

Standing in the Luoyang National Heritage Park of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, observing the bustling crowds of flower enthusiasts, the reporter couldn't help but wonder: When the last peony petals fall, will these tourists return? To avoid the fleeting fate of "a flash in the pan," it is crucial to break away from the traditional "relying on nature" model, focusing on extending the industrial chain, enhancing cultural empowerment, and strengthening technological support. Only by doing so can the flower economy in Henan remain vibrant year-round, turning its "colorful blooms" into a sustainable and ever-growing goldmine.

站在洛阳隋唐城国家遗址公园，看着熙熙攘攘的赏花人群，记者不禁思考：当最后一朵牡丹凋零，这些游客还会再来吗？要想避免“昙花一现”的命运，就必须突破传统的“靠天吃饭”模式，着力延伸产业链、深化文化赋能、强化科技支撑。唯有如此，河南的赏花经济才能四季常青，“多彩之花”才能转化为可持续发展的金山银山。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/李运海 编译/岳赛役 任子初 指导教师/洪建园 审校/宋扬）

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