Indoor orchids take the spotlight in Songming, Yunnan

Southwest China's Yunnan province is the largest producer of Cymbidium hybridum, one of the least-demanding indoor orchids. The world's best Cymbidium hybridum can be found in Yunnan, while Yunnan's best Cymbidium hybridum can be found in Songming county.

Located in the middle of Yunnan, east of Kunming, Songming provides the perfect natural growing conditions for the flower, such as abundant sunlight and air circulation, ideal temperature, making it one of the most important flower production centers in China.

With Chinese New Year around the corner, the flower is seeing significant growth in sales after a slump in 2019-2020. Driven by domestic and international demand, the flower market continues to rise.

"2016 is the year I saw the highest price of Chinese New Year's Eve flowers, when the factory price was about 170. Affected by the pandemic in the past two years, the price hit bottom last year. However, in 2022, flower prices are finally starting to recover," said Dai Jianxiong, head of a flower company in Songming.

Unlike previous years' sales, Cymbidium hybridum entered e-commerce platforms in 2021, with a large number of livestreamers selling the flowers. When dealers started livestreaming themselves, farms were also catching up, directly broadcasting from their planting centers. The rise of livestreaming led to prices remaining on an upward trend at the end of the year.

"When we made our livestreaming debut, the data showed nobody was watching. So it is necessary for us to constantly exercise to improve ourselves, because e-commerce livestreaming requires perseverance and a certain amount of stamina. Only then can we survive the toughest start-up phase. Once you have survived the toughest period, you will be able to see the sunshine, this is for sure. Every time there are new rules on the livestreaming platform, I will constantly study and update my livestream, orders of goods, and other content," said Guo Yan, an e-commerce livestreamer.

Nowadays, consumers can buy the best and freshest flowers from the internet while also receiving professional flower care solutions, specialized knowledge about the species. With the rise of e-commerce, a new consumer base will grow geometrically.

Jiang Yixian, head of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Songming County, said there are 32 flower-planting enterprises in Songming, with a total cultivation area of 28,100 acres. The output of fresh-cut flowers has reached 1.03 billion and reached a total value of 2.98 billion yuan. The development of the flower industry has not only driven the local economy, but also contributed to rural revitalization. Seedlings, seeds, and new technology demonstrations from Songming are being promoted both at home and abroad, radiating to adjacent counties and many prefectures and cities in Yunnan, as well as cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and countries such as Dubai, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Vietnam, and Laos.