Bonanza blossoms at flower markets in Kunming

In the KIFA auction hall, buyers from all over the country quickly decide whether they should bid for flowers based on the varieties, grades and prices displayed on a trading screen.

When the auction is over, the flowers are packaged before being dispatched to cities across China or abroad.

"The increasing number of weddings and opening ceremonies continue to boost the market, and Valentine's Day is expected to be another sales peak," said Li Qian, an auctioneer at KIFA. The KIFA price index for cut flowers peaked at 598 points this year, up from 440 points in January. "Both in terms of volume and price, we can see that the market has recovered significantly," Li said.

Dounan's logistics system has also been upgraded to include transportation options such as air and high-speed rail.

"A quarter of my flowers are sold online," said florist Zhang Kua-ping, who has regular customers in Shanghai, Nanjing in Jiangsu province and Guangzhou in Guangdong province who now order on a monthly basis. "I match different flowers according to their preferences and deliver by air."

Xinhua