At present, our country has not yet decided on the national flower.
At present, more than 100 countries in the world have established their own national flowers, and China is the only major country that has not yet established a national flower. Due to the lack of a national flower, at the 2001 APEC meeting, a joke "with China's national flower peony as the background" appeared in news reports; at the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Expo, the absence of a national flower became a century-old regret for the ancient country.
The selection of the national flower must meet four conditions: first, it must be widely distributed; second, it must have a beautiful appearance; third, it must have profound cultural connotations; fourth, it must have certain economic value.
After 20 years of selection of the national flower, there is still no result. Some people applaud, some oppose, and some question. Recently, the Chinese Forestry Society has once again organized the selection of the national flower and has submitted it to the National People's Congress for review. This time the competition is over, the waves are rising again.
There are about 30,000 species of flowers in the world, and there are 10,000-20,000 species of flowers native to my country. Many countries in the world, especially European countries, praise this as "Without Chinese flowers, there would be no garden." At present, more than 100 countries in the world have established their own national flowers, and China is the only major country that has not yet established a national flower.
In fact, China’s flower cultural complex has a long history. Chinese people appreciate flowers not only for their color and appearance, but also for the personal meaning and spiritual power contained in flowers. Tao Yuanming's "Plucking Chrysanthemums on the Eastern Fence", Lin Jinghe's "Sparse Shadows Slanting Horizontally", Zhou Dunyi's "Escaped from the Mud but Unstained", Confucius' "Orchid is the King's Fragrance", Su Dongpo's "Only Afraid of the Deep Night" The flowers are sleeping, so burn high candles to illuminate the red makeup."... Most of Chinese painting is about painting flowers. Some people spend their entire lives just to paint one or several types of flowers well. It is not easy to draw a flower well. How many women are named after flowers in China? How many flowers are used as names for women in China? To foreigners, this is simply unbelievable.
my country began to cultivate peonies during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, peonies, known as the national beauty and fragrant, fit the aesthetic psychology of the society at that time and were known as the king of flowers. "Only peonies are the true national beauty, and they move the capital when they bloom." "Three streets and nine roads are in bloom, and thousands of households and cars see peonies." From these lines, we seem to be able to vaguely see the Tang people's infatuation and preference for peonies. In the Qing Dynasty, Cixi officially designated the peony as the national flower. In the history of literature and art, the number of plum poems and paintings is enough to make any kind of flower out of reach. The 1915 edition of "Cihai" contains: "Our country has always regarded the peony as the national flower." In 1929, the plum blossom was designated as the national flower by the National Government. From the perspective of flowers, one can interpret a piece of Chinese history and a piece of Chinese cultural history.
As a result, some netizens summarized the reasons for selecting the national flower as follows: China’s long flower culture and its profound spiritual impact on the Chinese people; the selection of the national flower reflects the importance of biodiversity; the continuous international exchanges Expansion requires a medium to express friendly intentions; to help drive the development of China's flower industry.
We must have our own national flower as a symbol of the national image and national spirit. When overseas tourists see China’s plum blossoms and peonies, they will naturally feel a sense of pride in striving for self-improvement; when foreign friends see China’s national flower, they will say China.
2
In 1903, the Qing Dynasty pardoned the peony as the national flower; the 1915 edition of "Cihai" recorded: "Our country has always regarded the peony as the national flower"; in 1929, the former National Government designated plum blossom as the national flower. Dyeing clothes. "The peony's national beauty and fragrance have been praised by people since ancient times. The history of peony cultivation has been recorded as early as the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. By the Tang and Song Dynasties, peony cultivation technology had developed greatly. In the Tang Dynasty, peonies were even more beautiful and were known as the "King of Flowers". "The spring breeze is so good that the horse's hoof is broken, and I can see all the Chang'an flowers in one day." The Chang'an flower here is the peony. The Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing and planted peonies all over the Kek Lok Temple. During the Qing Dynasty, a prince went to Kek Lok Temple to see peonies and inscribed a plaque saying: "National Flower Temple". It can be seen that peony has been crowned as the national flower as far back as the Qing Dynasty. Peony, with its unique charm of elegance, splendor and dignity, has been revered as the "national beauty and fragrance" and "king of flowers" since ancient times, and has become China's "national flower".
Peony was unknown at first, and was also called peony. It was not separated from peony until the Qin and Han Dynasties. It began to flourish during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and has a cultivation history of more than 1,500 years. Peony is known as the "flower of wealth" and "a hundred taels of gold". It means "lucky thing" and "happy flower". Peony is also the most representative of the spirit of the times and national cultural characteristics, symbolizing the prosperity and prosperity of our country and nation, the reality and tireless pursuit of people's happy life.
☆ At present, peony planting industries have been formed in many places in my country, which has promoted local economic development and increased farmers' income. When the 7th Peony Appreciation Festival was held in Chaohu City, Chaohu City Mayor Xia Wangping pointed out: "The purpose of it (the Peony Appreciation Festival) is to set up a cultural stage, to perform economically, and to perform with science and technology."
Why is it so important for the Peony Appreciation Festival? Which flower can be selected as the national flower and everyone is so nervous? According to industry insiders, in addition to the love for flowers and flower culture, there are other interests to consider. Once a flower obtains the distinguished title of "national flower", its development as well as related culture, industry, and industry associations will receive unprecedented attention, and the economic benefits will be immeasurable.
Vacancy Analysis 1
Why has there been no national flower selection for more than 20 years?
According to the Chinese Forestry Society, the selection of the national flower must meet four conditions: first, it must be widely distributed; second, it must have a beautiful appearance; third, it must have profound cultural connotations; fourth, it must have a certain economic status. value.
Some scholars immediately questioned: The requirement of "wide distribution" is inappropriate. It seems reasonable but is too subjective, because what everyone likes may not be the most widely distributed species. Giant pandas are not widely distributed. , but it is a national treasure that everyone loves. For the same reason, "beautiful appearance" should not be used as a rigid rule, because there is no unified standard for "beautiful". With China's vast territory, complex population composition, and differences in the traditions of various ethnic groups, such a requirement is particularly meaningless. Big; whether it is a "national tree" or even a "world tree", it is just a tree and does not have much connotation. "The green pine proudly expresses the character of the snow" is just a literary language and is not enough evidence. What's more, the connotation of traditional culture is broad and profound. For example, Confucianism, which teaches "the Doctrine of the Mean," is a kind of culture, and jurisprudence that opposes the Doctrine of the Mean is also a kind of culture. How can it be represented by just a few flowers, birds, fish, and insects?
It is true that China has a vast territory and extremely deep flower culture. It is difficult for one country and one flower to represent the natural, plant and humanistic conditions of the entire country.
It is understood that in the past selection of my country’s national flowers, peony and plum blossom each received many calls. Professor Chen Junyu was the first expert in mainland China to advocate the selection of the national flower. As early as 1982, he proposed the plum blossom as the national flower. Later, he proposed the idea of ??"one country, two flowers" (peonies and plum blossoms), which aroused great repercussions at home and abroad.
Many experts believe that one country and two flowers are more appropriate. Plum blossoms can represent the Yangtze River Basin, and peonies can represent flowers in the Yellow River Basin. One tree and one shrub symbolize spiritual civilization and reflect the hard work and perseverance of the Chinese people. , a symbol of material civilization, reflecting the peace, prosperity and peace of the country and the people. Respecting both plum blossoms and peonies as national flowers can inspire people of all ethnic groups and descendants of Yan and Huang at home and abroad to continue to strive for self-improvement and work hard to realize the happiness and prosperity symbolized by peonies. In 1994, China held a grand national flower selection, and the peony was selected as the national flower, and the orchid, lotus, chrysanthemum, and plum were selected as the "Famous Flowers of the Four Seasons". However, the National People's Congress believed that the differences between the parties were too great and did not make a resolution. In the end, nothing was done. , it’s really hard to agree on.
After all, selecting the national flower is a very serious matter. It is better to be cautious than to make a hasty decision, otherwise it will cause eternal regrets.
In comparison, those countries with small territory, short history, single culture, and uncomplicated ethnic structure can easily select their own national flowers, such as the acacia in Australia, the tulip in the Netherlands, and the tulip in France. Irises from Germany, cornflowers from Germany, water lilies from Thailand... There are not many people, so it is easy to unify opinions and take good care of them. It is easy to come up with a conclusion that everyone can accept: Chinese courtesans are not praised well.
2
Peony and plum blossom also have a cultural difference between them. Peonies are popular and represent the appreciation taste of the general public. Compared with the collective appreciation of peonies, viewing plum blossoms is more of an individual aesthetic experience, because it has always been dominated by more sensitive intellectuals. Undoubtedly, the plum blossom and its symbolic spirit were summed up and endowed by intellectuals of all ages. When times are tough, they look forward to themselves with plum blossoms, and they personify plum blossoms, even "plum wives and crane sons". After working hard, the ordinary people's pitiful and limited sensory entertainment must be directed to colorful and festive things such as peonies. However, the "thinness" of plum blossoms in the aesthetic sense may not arouse or even have time to arouse their inner feelings. **Ming. (Selected from "The Peony and Plum Blossom Controversy among National Flowers" by Li Fang)
Today, China has not yet decided whether the national flower with modern significance will be the peony distributed in the Yellow River Basin as the national flower, or whether the peony distributed in the Yangtze River Basin will be regarded as the national flower. As the national flower of plum blossom, relevant parties in China are hesitant about this. The peony symbolizes elegance and splendor, which is inconsistent with the current economic situation of the country and the "frugality" promoted by the government; the plum blossom symbolizes perseverance and restraint, which is slightly inconsistent with the open national policy. The reason why the national flower cannot be determined seems to be the above-mentioned conflict of ideas at work.
National Flower Appraisal Why does the selection of the national flower have to be decided by the National People’s Congress?
The selection of the national flower will not happen in the era of war and turmoil, nor in the years of hunger and cold. The selection of the national flower is an act of prosperity, which shows that Chinese society has moved towards peace and prosperity for the country and the people.
But does the selection of the national flower have to be reported to the National People’s Congress? By analogy, in the future, all selections of "national" brands, such as national wine, national banquet, national bamboo, national fruit, national grass... will be reported to the National People's Congress for decision. Wouldn't the National People's Congress become an industry selection committee? Moreover, the national flower obviously cannot be compared with the national flag, national emblem, and national anthem, because the latter is a symbol of a sovereign country, and the national flower does not have this symbolic character.
The National People’s Congress, the highest authority, exercises state power on behalf of the people of the country. Its powers include legislation, supervision, appointment and removal, etc. The selection of the national flower is obviously not within its scope of powers.
Since it is a "national" title selection, it should reflect the interests of the greatest possible number of people. Specifically, which animal and plant species can win the halo of "national" title should not be set by relevant agencies or experts in advance. , can only be decided by the citizens through appropriate methods, because this type of selection does not have any scientific research effect. This kind of selection should not be subordinated to economic or other purposes, such as tourism development, etc. This is different from the previous selection of the "Top Ten Famous Mountains in China". The selection of the Top Ten Famous Mountains is indeed responsible for "enhancing China's mountainous areas". "The overall image of resources", it is understandable that we should give some consideration to the tourism industry at that time. The added value of the national trees, birds, and flowers and the top ten famous mountains are different.
Dr. Tao Qingmei from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences believes that the national flower has the symbolic significance of the country’s business card. The formulation of evaluation standards is a major event that affects the relationships and interests of all parties and directly affects the selection process and the fairness of the results. It cannot be done without explanation. The public is deprived of their right to speak and vote in formulating selection criteria, and is awarded to the Chinese Forestry Society casually.
When it comes to selecting the national flower, the most important thing is to have a set of open and fair procedures and standards. At the same time, there must be extensive public participation across the country. Just imagine, if there was no enthusiasm for public participation at all like in 1986, and more than one billion citizens only cast a pitiful 150,000 votes, but such an election result that lacked widespread participation was used as a nationally recognized "national ×" introduction Let the world know whether such selection activities are condensing or disintegrating the public's patriotic enthusiasm?
Professor Chen Junyu also said: "The constitutions of various countries only provide for the national flag and national emblem. No country has included the national flower in the constitution. It can be seen that the national flower should be for the masses, and the selection of the national flower should also be Extensive solicitation of opinions from the masses.”
Therefore, the selection of the national flower is indeed solemn, but its political and economic significance is very limited, and it should not be turned into a political activity. It should be treated with a normal attitude and standards. The determination and final decision should still respect the opinions of the people.
Selection Dispute On November 20, 1986, the "Selection of the Top Ten Traditional Chinese Famous Flowers" was jointly organized by Shanghai Cultural Publishing House, Shanghai Garden Society, the editorial department of "Garden" magazine, and the "Friends of Life" column of Shanghai TV Station. , the results are plum blossoms, peonies, chrysanthemums, orchids, etc. Because this China Famous Flower Selection event, a jury of 114 experts headed by Professor Chen Junyu was formed. It was a nationwide selection, and because the results were obtained in 1987, it is often called the "Top Ten Famous Flowers in China in 1987" Flower Selection Activity”.
However, some people question that: when it comes to selecting the national flower, the most important thing is to have a set of open and fair procedures and standards, and at the same time, there must be extensive public participation across the country. Just imagine, if there was no enthusiasm for public participation at all like in 1986, and more than one billion citizens only cast a pitiful 150,000 votes, but such an election result that lacked widespread participation was used as a nationally recognized "national ×" introduction Let the world know whether such selection activities are condensing or disintegrating the public's patriotic enthusiasm?
There are also reports that: According to the resolution No. 0440 of the Second Session of the Eighth National People's Congress in 1994, "Recommendations on Evaluating my country's National Flower as soon as possible", it was forwarded to the Ministry of Agriculture and the China Flower Association was tasked with the specific organization. In March of the same year, a national flower selection leading group was established, with Chen Muhua, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, as the honorary team leader and He Kang as the team leader. National flower selection activities were carried out across the country. The conditions for my country's national flower selection were determined through discussion by an expert group. It is:
(1) It has a long cultivation history and strong adaptability. It is influential in most areas of our country and occupies a leading position in the world.
(2) Flower appearance, color and other characteristics can reflect the excellent traditions and character traits of the Chinese nation.
(3) It has a wide range of uses, is popular among the people, and has high social, environmental and economic benefits.
Since the China Flower Association organized and led the national flower discussion across the country, the "China Flower News" has successively published news that many famous people and the general public have had heated discussions on the selection of the national flower. According to the "China Flower News", the types of flowers that have been nominated as candidates for China's national flower include: plum blossom, peony, chrysanthemum, orchid, rose, azalea, camellia, lotus, osmanthus, Chinese daffodil, pomegranate, wintersweet, winter jasmine, peach blossom, There are dozens of species including azalea, clivia, daylily, golden camellia, daphne, crape myrtle, gardenia, dove tree, a bunch of red and daphne. After nearly ten months of discussion, the task has been successfully completed.
According to the results reported by 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities (including Shenzhen Special Economic Zone), 18 provinces, accounting for 58.06%, are in favor of one country - flower (peony). There are 11 provinces, accounting for 35.48%, in favor of one country with four flowers (peony, plum blossom, chrysanthemum and lotus). Two provinces proposed a new four-flower plan, which is to exchange orchids for lotus, accounting for 6.45%. After careful study, the National National Flower Selection Leading Group unanimously agreed that "peony" is my country's national flower. Other popular flowers, orchids (spring), lotus (summer), chrysanthemums (autumn), and plum blossoms (winter), are famous flowers of the four seasons in China. In this way, the four seasons of orchid (spring), lotus (summer), chrysanthemum (autumn), and plum (winter) are the main ones of Shaohua, and the leader of all flowers is peony. The national flower and the famous flowers of the four seasons form a posture of stars holding the moon, which can better reflect the prosperity, integrity, perseverance and noble spirit of the Chinese nation.
The above-mentioned selection results and details will be reported by the Ministry of Agriculture to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress according to procedures, with a view to approval and promulgation at the 1995 National People's Congress session. After the news was revealed, academician Chen Junyu and others were indignant. They immediately held a press conference to resolutely oppose the determination of the peony as the national flower. As a result, the National People's Congress shelved the decision to make the peony the national flower because of "too much disagreement." At this point, the mass national flower selection event has come to an end.
In this selection in 1994, the two major peony bases in China - Luoyang City in Henan Province, Heze City in Shandong Province and the Peony and Peony Branch of the China Flower Association jointly selected peony as the city flower or production and research across the country. Peony representatives from more than a dozen provinces and cities established the National Peony National Flower Evaluation Office. Luoyang established a "leading group" personally headed by the mayor. Together with Beijing, Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province, Heze District in Shandong Province, etc., they jointly established the "National Peony Competition National Flower Office", and the four parties "lobbyed" to support it. Peony is the national flower.
In recent years, Luoyang in Henan, Heze in Shandong, Pengzhou in Sichuan, and Changshu in Jiangsu, four cities represented by peonies, have specially established the "China Peony Tour" tourism cooperation alliance in order to support the peony becoming the national flower, and released The unanimous declaration of the People’s Republic of China first recommended the peony as the national flower.
Objection Not long ago, a Mr. Yang Shizhi wrote in the "People's Daily" "Is it necessary to comment on the national flower, national tree and national bird?" "" article raised objections to the selection, and believed that "there are many more important things waiting for us to do than appraise the national flower, national tree and national bird", and many things "are of less practical significance than appraising the national flower and national tree." , the national bird is much more important.”
"Species in nature are equal, and we humans do not need to classify them into hierarchies. No matter which national tree, national bird, or national flower is selected, it will definitely make a large number of citizens unhappy, especially They are intellectuals, because their idols were not selected, and their hard-to-change thoughts and feelings were hurt. If we select national trees, national birds, and national flowers in order to pursue beauty or improve people's environmental awareness, then we are evaluating the national tree. , national bird, and national flower, we have to comment on national fish, national insects, national birds, and national animals...it will never end," a scholar commented on Xinhuanet.
The absence of a national flower will not hinder the country’s sovereignty, the national spirit, or the country’s future.
On the contrary, almost any selection is driven by huge economic interests. Local governments and industry associations are so vigorously competing for the "national" brand name because they also consider that the "national" brand name will bring great benefits to the industry and the industry. The local economy and reputation bring incalculable value and impact.
In the two selections in the 1980s, plum blossoms won the first prize and peonies ranked second. In the 1994 selection, the competition between the two reached a fierce stage, and even evolved from the competition between flowers to the competition between provinces and provinces, and between cities. In Luoyang, Henan, a "Leading Group for Peony Competition for National Flower" was established under the leadership of the mayor. Together with the participation of Beijing, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, Heze District, Shandong Province, etc., the "National Office for Peony Competition for National Flower Evaluation" was jointly established, and the four parties "lobbyed" ", hailing the peony as the national flower. Finally, the two candidates determined by experts are One Country, One Flower (peony) and One Country, Four Flowers (peony, lotus, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom). The selection team organized 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions to vote, and Peony won with 18 votes.
An ordinary national flower selection almost turned into a chaotic Eight Immortals competition where you sing and I appear. The problems are still worthy of our reflection today, nearly 10 years after the incident.
China National Flower Selection Seminar On September 20, 2005, the Chinese Horticultural Society, Beijing Garden Society and Shanghai Landscape Architecture Society jointly held the "China National Flower Selection Seminar" in Beijing. Most of the representatives supported the selection of peony and plum blossom as my country’s “two national flowers”. However, there are also different opinions, which advocate "one country, one flower".
In the autumn of 2005, the China Flower Club Association proposed the peony as the national flower at a meeting held in Chengdu, and reported it to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, hoping that the peony would be designated as the national flower at the National People's Congress in 2006. Some experts and scholars who oppose peony strongly question it. In January 2006, Academician Chen continued to write letters to the leaders of the Central Committee, the National People's Congress, and the State Council, expounding the idea of ??one country, two flowers, and published relevant articles in the Internal Reference for circulation by the central leaders.