Giant floral cat sculpture debuts at 47th Beijing Chrysanthemum Exhibition

A giant floral centerpiece is putting the spotlight on the city flower at the 47th Beijing Chrysanthemum Exhibition, which opened on Oct 24 at Beihai Park, a former imperial garden in the capital.

Crafted among chrysanthemum blooms, the figure crouches slightly, front paws raised and tail held high, seemingly chasing a butterfly amid the flowers. Named Fuduo, or Lucky Blossom, this "tabby cat" is no ordinary sculpture. It has large round eyes, and long blades of foliage mimic its fluffy fur, with streaked tabby markings woven in varying shades. No paint was used: every detail was painstakingly assembled from sweetflag, moss grass, bamboo filaments, and miniature chrysanthemums.

Lang Yujie, the sixth-generation inheritor of Beihai Park's chrysanthemum cultivation technique, explained that the cat was built entirely from plant materials. "We used tiny chrysanthemums to recreate the tabby pattern... the effect is remarkably lifelike."

Spanning 6,000 square meters, this year's show features more than 600 chrysanthemum varieties and 50,000 plants. Displays fill the core courtyards of Chanfu Temple and Wanfo Tower, alongside a waterside landscape strip.

The grand Cantonese-style giant chrysanthemums from Xiaolan, South China's Guangdong province, are returning to Beihai Park after a 17-year hiatus. More than 3,000 chrysanthemums from Kaifeng, Central China's Henan province, are on display. Rare heritage cultivars can also be admired in the rear exhibition room, including varieties dating to the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.