Kunming is often known as the city of flowers with Dounan and Chenggong the largest flower producers and exporters in southwest China. In the past, fresh flowers were usually traded on the “flower street”. Nowadays, people flock to the Dounan Flower Market, a one hundred acre market with a multi-functional system of information, storage, transportation and technical consultation. The market has connections set up between the Kunming International Flower Auction Center and the globally recognized Holland Flower Auction and Trade Market.. Dounan has become the largest cut flower market in China, with five to six million cut flowers traded daily. More than 500 flower shops are located in the transaction hall and sell more than 300 species of flowers from 60 categories. Various flowers such as fragrant lily, rose, forget-me-not, carnation, butterfly orchid, African daisy, and gypsophila sold throughout the hall transform the market into an “ocean of flowers”.

The market in Dounan opens early in the morning when loads of fresh flowers are transported here for wholesale by dealers from the city. Visitors can take a close look at the farmers’ greenhouses there and some travel services are able to organize a flower market tour.