A grand peony fair was opened Sunday in Luoyang in central China's Henan Province.

Citizens and tourists flocked to every park and square to visit the sea of beautiful flowers.

So far, the city has held 19 peony fairs.

In addition to displaying the peonies, the fairs have organized various forms of economic and cultural activities, making a considerable contribution to boosting Sino-foreign trade and cultural exchanges.

As the capital of several Chinese dynasties, Luoyang is famous for peonies, with the cultivated acreage currently exceeding 300 hectares in its urban area.

Until now, the city has developed over 600 kinds of peonies and kept introducing new species from overseas.

Along with this 10-day event, several other trade fairs and cultural exhibitions will also be held.

(People’s Daily 04/16/2001)