Shandong's county shares story of peonies with the world

The Fifth Senior High School in Shanxian county of Heze city in East China's Shandong province hosted a public lecture on peony planting techniques in the Sino-Russian Senior High Schools Alliance's online Chinese classroom. Xie Kong'an, a local forestry bureau expert, led the session for Russian students.

Xie Kong'an (middle) conducts online teaching. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Xie provided thorough insights into the timing, steps, and management of peony planting, along with analyzing potential issues and offering effective solutions.

Xie Kong'an demonstrates and explains on-site to the students. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan/for chinadaily.com.cn]

"I hope the peony seeds I plant myself will bloom into flowers as stunning as those in the peony fields of China," said a Russian student who benefited greatly from this session.

"China boasts a rich history of peony cultivation, with the flower being declared the national emblem during the Tang (618-907) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties," Xie said. "Heze in Shandong province is renowned as China's peony capital. Teaching peony cultivation techniques to foreign students serves as a means of cultural exchange," she added. (Edited by Zhang Ying)