Economic Watch: Fields to vases: China's "beautiful economy" blooms globally

KUNMING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- At a flower company's cold storage facility in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, workers were busy conducting post-harvest processing on freshly delivered roses. The flowers were later loaded onto temperature-controlled refrigerated trucks and began a seven-day overland journey, eventually reaching florists in Kazakhstan.

Seven out of every 10 fresh-cut flowers sold in China come from Yunnan, according to industry figures, making the province one of the world's major producers of fresh-cut flowers. Kunming Customs data shows Yunnan's fresh-cut flower exports reached 1.22 billion yuan (about 176.86 million U.S. dollars) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 60.5 percent, covering 64 countries and regions.

Dianwang Flowers, the company behind this shipment, is definitely riding the wave of that broader trend. They've grown their business to cover 20 countries and regions across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

What unfolds here is more than a floral journey. It offers a glimpse into how China's "beautiful economy" is deeply integrating into the global industrial chain.

Across Yunnan, quality flowers from growing regions, such as Jinning, Lijiang and Chuxiong, are being exported to destinations worldwide through a sophisticated supply chain network and diverse logistics channels. Shipments bound for Myanmar and the Philippines arrive within 48 hours by air, while those headed for Vietnam reach Lao Cai in only six hours from Kunming's Dounan Flower Market.

Currently, Dianwang Flowers has achieved direct production and sales in the Myanmar market through its 200-mu (about 13.33 hectares) experimental farm located in the country. This year, the company's full-chain industrial project, integrating R&D, cultivation and sales, in collaboration with Myanmar authorities, is scheduled to be completed. The company has also actively partnered with Cambodian counterparts, securing a 65-percent market share locally and introducing advanced planting techniques and seedlings through training programs.

Fu Zhaotian, the head of the company, explained that the Myanmar market favors lilies, chrysanthemums and carnations, while large-headed roses, such as Highland Red and Floyd, are highly popular in Central Asia and the Russian market. On the R&D front, Yunnan flowers are now being precisely tailored to different markets, which has led to a diversified supply system oriented by market demand.

A report released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shows that by the end of 2025, the market size of China's flower industry had reached 100 billion yuan, with a stable cultivation area of nearly 1.39 million hectares and over 5.34 million people directly employed in the sector.

According to the administration, China has developed seven major competitive flower production clusters tailored to its natural endowments. They include Yunnan and south China's Guangdong Province for fresh-cut flowers and potted plants; Qingzhou in east China's Shandong Province for potted flowers; east China's provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu for ornamental seedlings; and Jiuquan in northwest China's Gansu Province for flower seed production. This resource-based specialization has cultivated a robust supply network and enhanced the global competitiveness of the industry.

A national herbaceous flower germplasm repository in Jiuquan preserves over 3,700 flower germplasm resources under strictly controlled temperature and humidity. Each may contain genes that confer disease resistance, cold hardiness, or distinctive coloration.

Pan Yanhua, senior agronomist at the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said many original species of flowers, including peonies, chrysanthemums and roses, originated in China. "This rich genetic heritage is the fundamental backbone of our industry's development."

China's flower seed industry has long struggled with abundant resources but weak commercial transformation. However, this trend is now beginning to change.

At a rose innovation conference in Yunnan last year, over 1,000 new Chinese-style varieties were unveiled. They break from the traditional cup-shaped bloom, featuring cloud-like layered petals and fragrances infused with oriental tea and fruit notes, according to Yang Yingjie, associate researcher at the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Deeper innovation is brewing in laboratories nationwide. Chinese research institutions are using gene editing and molecular marker-assisted breeding to slash the traditional eight-to-ten-year breeding cycle. "We're not just catching up; we're building our own strengths in key areas," said Zhang Shucui, deputy director of the industrial economy institute at the China Center for Information Industry Development.

Technology is also transforming flower production facilities across China. Rows of Phalaenopsis orchids thrive in optimal conditions at a smart greenhouse operated by a flower company in Qingzhou. Here, IoT sensors monitor temperature and humidity, an integrated water-fertilizer system precisely delivers nutrients, and ebb-and-flow irrigation operates automatically.

"Smart facilities require heavy investment, but they ensure stable year-round production and allow synchronized control of flowers at different growth stages," said Meng Fanyi, the company's general manager. "This helps us respond precisely to market demand, with per-mu returns at least 50 percent higher than traditional greenhouses."

Online demand is emerging as a new growth driver for the flower market. According to a 2025 report on national flower production and marketing analysis released by the China Flower Association, the scale of flower e-commerce consumption reached approximately 120 billion yuan in 2024, accounting for 54.5 percent of the total retail market. It has been the main engine of growth for three consecutive years.

"We enable flower farmers to connect directly with florists right from the fields via their mobile phones, allowing them to sell before harvest," said Zhang Shaomin, co-founder of a vertical e-commerce platform specializing in flowers. "This has reduced the average transaction time by 24 hours, lowered the loss rate by 30 percent, and increased flower farmers' income by 20 percent."

In 2022, China's authorities issued a guideline to promote the high-quality development of the flower industry. It set a target for the industry to achieve an annual sales revenue exceeding 700 billion yuan by 2035, alongside a steady expansion of flower exports.

Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in 2024, China's flower exports reached 516 million U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 17.78 percent. The shift in export structure is particularly noteworthy -- high-value-added categories such as potted plants, deep-processed products, and specialty seedlings saw significant growth. ■