Heze, China, April 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Let's reconnect after COVID with flowers and invite all the people around the world to come to Shandong to see the beauty of the peony flowers and to put Shandong on the map of the international travel," said H.E Irit Ben-Abba Vitale, Ambassador of Israel to China in her speech at the Heze Peony International Communication Forum.
In China, peony is popular among the public as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune. As the Peony Capital of China, Heze in Shandong Province has a history of cultivating peonies for more than 1,500 years, and is the world's largest production, research and export base and tourist destination of the peony with the largest number of varieties and color of flowers. In order to spread the peony culture and promote cultural exchange and integration between China and foreign countries, the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong ProvincialCommittee and China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration held the Heze Peony International Communication Forum on April 9, which was attended by dozens of Chinese and foreign guests, experts and scholars to discuss the value of the peony culture and international communication strategies around the theme of "building Chinese cultural identity and telling the story of Heze peony to the world".
Julio Herráiz España, Deputy Head of Embassy of Spain in China (Minister Counsellor), delivered a keynote speech, saying that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Spain and China, and the two countries will carry out a series of exchange activities in various fields. The Peony Festival held in Heze reminded him of the many cultural similarities between the two countries, and he hoped that the cultural exchanges between the two countries could be better promoted.
Kim Jin-gon, Minister Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of Korea, and President of the Korean Culture Center in China, said in a video that Korea and China are geographically close and culturally connected, and have historically conducted exchanges in many fields, making them precious neighbors of each other. Heze and Gimpo are sister cities. It is hoped that the forum will enhance the friendship between the Korean and Chinese peoples, and promote more cooperation between the two countries through the medium of flowers.
Lu Cairong, Vice President of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration,pointed out in his video message that peony is popular among the public and has a beautiful meaning, which is an important symbol of Chinese civilization and a vivid footnote of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
According to Xi Yanchun,Deputy Headin charge of routine work of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial CommitteeDirector-General ofGeneral Office of Shandong Provincial Commissionfor Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, Information Office of Shandong Provincial Government,peony has a unique symbolic meaning and charm, and the story of peony as a flower of "beauty and harmony" can be told by building a bridge of cultural and civilization exchange and mutual appreciation among countries.
According to the introduction, in recent years, Heze peony has appeared in the SCO Qingdao Summit, China International Import Expo and other major diplomatic occasions, becoming the "flower envoy" to promote friendship and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
Chinese and foreign scholars not only discussed the cultural value and international communication of peony at the round table, but also walked into the peony garden to appreciate the beauty of Heze peony, watched the production process of peony porcelain at the exhibition and experience center of Heze handicrafts, and visited peony processing enterprises to understand the production process of peony seed oil. A series of cultural presentation and experience activities made this forum a journey to explore the peony culture, which was a combination of idea exchange and immersive experience.
