Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
KUNMING/ALMATY, June 16 (Xinhua) — Flowers are a universal gift that is loved to be presented on various occasions in many countries, including Kazakhstan. Flowers can be used to create a beautiful composition. A bouquet appropriate for the occasion can be given to a woman or a man, friends or colleagues and can be used to express almost any message. Give a compliment, say “thank you” or “sorry” and even propose!
Dounan is a small town on the shore of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan Province. But in terms of “flower territory,” it is very large. It is home to Asia’s largest fresh-cut flower market and the second largest in the world. Of Dounan’s 70,000 residents, more than 40,000 are employed in the flower industry. Every day, about 10 million fresh-cut flowers are sold here. They are exported to more than 50 countries, including Kazakhstan.
In fact, it is not only a flower market, but also a national tourist attraction. Last year alone, millions of tourists visited it. Eustoma, roses, bush carnations, matthiola and sunflowers. You can buy all kinds of flowers here. No matter whether you like flowers or not, you can’t resist the temptation to buy them in Dounan because they are so cheap here. The price for one bunch of roses is 20 yuan (US$1.40), and for a bunch of sunflowers it is only 8 yuan (US$1.10).
As assistant to the president of Dounan Flower Industry Corporation Wang Jinyiling said, in the 1980s, the villagers of Dounan began trying to grow flowers in their gardens. And to their surprise, they discovered that it was very economically profitable. Then everyone gradually began to follow their example. “And we needed a large enough and professional flower market to sell flowers,” she noted.
According to her, in 1998, the Dounan Flower Market with an area of 37,333 square meters was officially put into operation. And in 2015, the industrial zone – a flower market of national importance – was officially opened. Here, in addition to traditional direct flower sales, online auctions and sales are also held. Today, Dounan is not just a collection and distribution center for flowers, but also a tourist attraction. More and more tourists come here to experience the unique flower culture of Yunnan Province.
Zhou Tianyi runs Deruier Flowers in Dounan. Every week, the shop ships 200,000 to 300,000 fresh-cut roses to Almaty. Delivery takes just five days. “The China Flower Industry Conference is held every year. We also attend it and met many entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan there,” she said.
“The quality of Chinese flowers is very stable now. Today, there are a huge number of flower species in China, and the excellent price-quality ratio is their great advantage. These are the main reasons why Kazakh businessmen like Chinese products very much,” said the director of Deruier Flowers.
According to Kazakh media, citing the country’s National Bureau of Statistics, in 2024 the country imported more than 1,100 tons of fresh-cut flowers and buds from China worth $7.5 million. This is almost 13 times more than the previous year. In terms of total import volume, China has become the third largest supplier of flowers to Kazakhstan.
There are about 220,000 flower seedling companies in China, with an annual output of more than 520 billion yuan (nearly 72.2 billion US dollars), making the country the world’s largest flower producer.
In 2024, China’s flower import and export volume was US$782 million, up 10 percent year on year. Of which, the export volume was US$516 million, up 17.78 percent year on year. China’s flower economy has shown strong vitality. –0–