A blossoming career

Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Liu Yuxi's wrote a poem praising their appeal:"Only the peony is qualified to be hailed as the national beauty. It has a sensational charm to captivate the entire capital when it blooms".

Citing the lines to exemplify their popularity in ancient China, Fan says more than 10,000 poems were written featuring peony flowers in the Tang Dynasty.

"Peony flowers not only inspire literary creations, but also spawn a lot of other cultural works and daily utensils. Such an influence can still be seen today, with the flowers used as patterns on costumes or furniture," he adds.

Most people would feel happy and relaxed admiring a sea of peony blossom, but few of us probably know the difficulty of transporting these tender and delicate plants. After investing a lot of time and his own saving, Fan has become an expert on "escorting" peony flowers safely to their destinations during long trips.

One of his most impressive moments came in 2016, when the Palace Museum in Beijing, also known as the Forbidden City, held a floral exhibition to display more than 12,000 potted peonies transported from Luoyang in Henan province, itself known for its annual peony festival.

Serving as the head in charge of the exhibition, Fan had resided in the Forbidden City for 18 days, as his work-guiding workers to display pots and caring the blooming flowers-could only be conducted in the early morning or after dusk, before or after the palaces opened or closed to tourists.