Heze Peony Forum Promotes Cultural Exchange, Global Engagement

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- The 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum was held recently in Heze, east China's Shandong Province, bringing together diplomats, scholars and artists to explore how the city's iconic flower can serve as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Themed "Blooming Across the World, Cultivating Shared Beauty", this year’s forum focuses on the connotations and contemporary significance of peony culture. It forms part of the 2026 World Peony Conference, a month-long event that kicked off earlier.

The event was jointly organised by the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, China International Communications Group (CICG), and the Publicity Department of the CPC Heze Municipal Committee.

According to a statement, the forum featured a thematic short film tracing the peony’s millennia-old cultural journey, video greetings from participants worldwide, and a fusion performance blending guzheng and violin.

Participants also exchanged peony-themed cultural creations, promoted the "Five Continents in Bloom" Chinese Classical Garden, and launched initiatives such as "The Peony's Voice from Space", highlighting the flower's enduring appeal.

In Chinese culture, the peony symbolises prosperity, vitality and aspirations for a better life. Participants said these meanings can resonate across borders, offering a shared language of beauty and emotion.

During a roundtable discussion, experts explored how to reinterpret peony symbolism for global communication.

With a cultivation history spanning over 1,500 years, Heze — known as China’s "peony capital" with 1,308 varieties — attracted 9.92 million visitors during its peony festival last year, while related products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions.

-- BERNAMA