Scientists call for national flowers
By Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-09 05:52

China's lack of an official "National Flower" has prompted 62 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering to call for the joint instatement of plum blossom and peony.

A peony is seen in this photo taken on May 20, 2005. [newsphoto]

If you ask a Chinese person what the national wine is, you will no doubt be told it is Moutai. When asked what the national sport is, the answer will be table tennis.

But if you raise the question of the national flower, there is no definite answer.

To remedy this situation, 62 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering last moth called for plum blossom and the tree peony to be officially recognized as China's national flowers.

According to 88-year-old Chen Junyu, who initiated the proposal, more than 100 countries have an official national flower, but so far China is not one of them.

Chen said: "Chinese people are more interested in some imported species of flowers, and neglect the flowers originating in China. That is why I called for official recognition of our national flowers."

A member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Beijing Forestry University, Chen was the first person in China to raise the issue of setting a national flower, and first made the proposal more than 20 years ago.

In 1982, he suggested the country should set plum blossom as the national flower, a suggestion which fell on deaf ears.

Page:

1

2

Close

Typhoon Matsa affects Dalian Coal mine flooding traps 102 in Guangdong Bus blast kills one, injures 23

Today's Top News     Top China News
Trade surplus to decrease in second half         102 miners trapped as flood waters rise         Suicide bomber strikes on bus, injuring 31         Electricity supply to be balanced in 2007         Scientists call for national flowers         Iran defies West, resumes nuclear work	102 miners trapped as flood waters rise       Electricity supply to be balanced in 2007       'Worst rains in a decade' o fall on Beijing       City-rover panda sent back to wild       Scientists call for national flowers       School tragedy town given more aid