Peony in Luoyang
Legend of Peony
 What about Luoyang makes peonies flourish there? The answer is an interesting
story:it is said that on a snowy day, Empress Wu, the only female ruler in
Chinese history, drank and composed poems with her officials. She was in a good
mood, and she was eager to see the blooming flowers. Then she released an order,
commanding that because she would visit her garden the next day, all the flowers
should bloom within one night. The miracle happened and all the flowers bloomed
the next day, with the exception of the peony. Irritated, Empress Wu banished
all the peony trees from the capital of Chang'an to distant Luoyang.
To
the Empress' surprise, the peony bloomed amazingly well in Luoyang. She was so angry
that she ordered the local official to burn all the peony trees. Astonishingly,
next spring the peony bloomed better than the first year. From then on,
the residents in Luoyang admired the peony and treated with great pride.
The peony represents richness and prosperity in Chinese culture. People can
associate it with theTang Dynasty. It also serves as a token of love. In the
Odes of Poems, young couples in love will send each other peony as a symbol of
ardent love.
Peony has profound implications in Chinese culture. For
thousands of years, it has been widely used in poems and in the decoration of
Chinese Gardens, because it is believed to bring fortune and prosperity.
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