Yunnan's flower industry blooms with fresh verve

Rose grower Gao Chuanfu has benefited from the platform. With regular guidance from Huaeb technicians, he learned to manage water and fertilizer more effectively, improve harvesting practices and sell his flowers online.

"Now my flowers are more consistent in quality, and my selling costs have fallen by nearly 30 percent," Gao says.

To connect remote communities with larger markets, Yang's team provides e-commerce training in villages across Yunnan and operates 41 flower collection points.

"We follow the development of the flower industry in these areas, helping flowers from remote communities reach buyers across China through digitalization. At the same time, purchasers can connect with suppliers at Dounan without having to travel there," Yang says.

For some young people born into flower-growing families, selling flowers is the beginning. They are finding ways to add value through design and promotion of new lifestyles.

Mo Shuna's parents were among Dounan's early flower growers in the 1980s. Her interest in floral design began in the early 1990s, when a visiting trader who rented a room in her family's home introduced her to the craft.

Over more than two decades, Mo has become a nationally certified floral design technician and senior assessor, designing floral displays for the China-South Asia Expo over multiple years, while also gaining certification from the American Floral Art School.

"As the second generation of flower growers, we cannot stop at growing and selling flowers, and we need to give them artistry, value and stories," Mo says.

China's flower retail market reached 249 billion yuan in 2025, up about 13.18 percent year-on-year, according to the China Flower Association. Flowers are increasingly purchased not only for festivals and special occasions, but also as an everyday way to brighten people's moods.

Alongside her design work, Mo teaches floral arrangement in communities and workplaces across Kunming, to help more people bring the fragrant art into everyday life.

"Flower arranging is not just a skill. It can also be healing. People immerse themselves in the process, relax and enjoy creating something beautiful," she says.

XINHUA