[Photo: english.cri.cn]

Peonies, one of the four famous Chinese flowers, blossom every April in Luoyang. Along with the peonies, a series of festival activities take place.

The Peony Festival has been a tradition since ancient times. Chang'an during the Sui and Tang dynasties, Luoyang during the Northern Song Dynasty, Tianpeng, Yuhang and Chengdu during the Southern Song Dynasty, Haozhou and Caozhou during the Ming Dynasty, and Beijing during the Qing Dynasty were all centers of peony cultivation and famous for their peony displays and festivals.