Peach blossoms, among the favorite new year flowers of Guangzhou residents, carry beautiful meanings such as good luck, prosperity, and the realization of grand ambitions.

With less than a month left until the Spring Festival, how is the growth of peach blossoms this year? On January 22nd, one of our reporters visited Haibei Dongshi Village in Liwan District, one of the two major peach blossom cultivators in Guangzhou. While walking through the peach fields, our reporter saw that some peach trees had already bloomed, adorning the branches with their vibrant colors.

Lu Yongqiang, a local villager and flower farmer, has been cultivating peach blossoms for over 40 years. Currently, he has 0.6 acres of land solely dedicated to peach blossom cultivation, with 110-120 peach trees being nurtured for market release before the Spring Festival.

"Most of the peach blossoms in my field are around 1.2-1.3 meters tall, suitable for home decoration. The price for this size of peach blossom is approximately 120 yuan, while the taller ones, ranging from 1.8 to 2 meters, are estimated to be sold for over 200 yuan this year. Overall, the prices of peach blossoms remain consistent with previous years," said Lu Yongqiang. He further added that the favorable weather and abundant sunshine in 2023, coupled with an additional lunar month, have provided peach blossoms with ample growth time, resulting in good quality and flourishing growth this year.

Lu Yongqiang introduced that Haibei Dongshi Village has more than 200 acres of land dedicated to cultivating 30,000 peach trees, primarily for sale within the Liwan District. "Every year, on the 24th and 25th of the twelfth lunar month, citizens from all over come to Haibei Dongshi Village, where they can select and purchase beautiful peach blossoms amidst the sea of flowers," he added.

In addition to sales within Liwan District, a small portion of Dongshi peach blossoms is also sold to other regions. Lu Yongqiang mentioned, "This year, 10% of the peach blossoms in the village have already been reserved for sale to Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, and other places."

Li, a villager in his late 60s, has been involved with peach blossoms for over 50 years. Like Lu Yongqiang, Li personally tends to over 100 peach trees that he has cultivated with care before their market debut.

"A single peach blossom tree, approximately 1.5 meters tall, can be sold for 150-200 yuan. However, after deducting costs such as seedlings, fertilizers, land rent, and labor, the profits are minimal. Peach blossom cultivation also requires the skill and dedication of the farmers, as it demands year-round care," Li explained. He said that Dongshi peach blossoms serve as a symbol of the village, and by continuing to cultivate these flowers, the Dongshi peach blossoms will continue to maintain their reputation.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

准备上市！广州闹市桃花凌寒开

桃花是广州市民喜爱的年花之一，承载着走桃花运、花开富贵、大展宏图等美好寓意。

距离春节不到1个月时间，今年桃花长势如何？1月22日，记者走访了位于荔湾区海龙街道的海北东石村，这里是广州两大桃花种植基地之一。漫步桃花田，个别桃花已抢先吐艳，点缀枝头。

花农卢永强是当地村民，种植桃花40多年，目前，他有0.6亩地专门用来种植桃花，田里正在培植的110-120株桃花准备在春节前上市。

“我田里种植的桃花大部分是1.2-1.3米高，适合在家中摆放，这种尺寸的桃花价钱大约在120元；而1.8-2米高的桃花预计今年卖200多元。总体而言，桃花价格和往年持平。”卢永强表示，2023年天气较好，阳光充沛，加上农历多了一个月时间，让桃花有充分的生长期，预计今年桃花品质好、长势佳。

卢永强介绍，海北东石村有超过200亩地专门用来种植3万株桃花，主要在荔湾区内销售。“每年腊月廿四至廿五，来自各地的市民慕名而来，专门驱车到海北东石村，在桃花花海挑选心水靓花，现选现买。”

东石桃花除了在荔湾区内销售，还有小部分销往外地。卢永强说：“今年村中有10%的桃花早已被预订，准备售往港澳地区，以及马来西亚等地。”

村民黎叔今年将近70岁，他和桃花打交道已有50多年。和卢永强一样，黎叔在桃花上市前亲力亲为，在桃花田间穿梭巡查，精心呵护自己种植的100多株桃花。

“一株高约1.5米的桃花卖150-200元，除去花苗、肥料、田租、人工养护等成本，收益甚少。而且桃花种植考究花农的技艺，需要花农长年精心呵护。”黎叔感慨，东石桃花是村中名片，他们坚守种植桃花，东石桃花这块“招牌”就不会消失。

文丨记者 马思泳
图丨记者 陈秋明
翻译丨陈萱