洛阳牡丹甲天下
中国名花洛阳牡丹，是中国国家地理标志产品，栽培始于隋，鼎盛于唐，宋时甲于天下，至今已有1400多年的历史。洛阳牡丹花朵硕大，品种繁多，花色奇绝，有红、白、粉、黄、紫、蓝、绿、黑及复色9大色系、10种花型、1400多个品种，素有“国色天香”“花中之王”的美称，长期以来被当作富贵吉祥、繁荣兴旺的象征。
“洛阳牡丹甲天下”，这是千百年来人们对洛阳牡丹的赞誉，故洛阳有“千年帝都，牡丹花城”之称。洛阳早在唐宋时期即已具备系统的栽花技艺，形成赏花习俗及与牡丹有关的诗词、书画、传说、服饰等，由此衍生出洛阳牡丹文化，这也是河洛文化的重要组成部分。牡丹不仅具有观赏价值，其花、种、根、粉都有着很高的经济价值，已开发出中药、食品、酿酒、化妆品、保健茶等系列产品。
1983年以来，洛阳市在每年四五月举办牡丹花会。2019年5月，在北京世园会牡丹芍药国际竞赛中，洛阳牡丹共获奖项221个，获奖总数及各类奖项均列所有参赛团体第一，再次印证了“洛阳牡丹甲天下”的美誉。
Luoyang Peony, Queen of Flowers
The Luoyang peony is a Geographical Indication product in China. First cultivated in the Sui Dynasty (581- 618) more than 1,400 years ago, the flower had its heyday in the Tang Dynasty and became the best-known garden plant in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Luoyang peony features a large size, and there are more than 1,400 varieties, 10 flower shapes, and 9 color systems (red, white, pink, yellow, purple, blue, green, black, and multicolor). Hailed as the "queen of flowers," it has long been favored as a symbol of wealth, good luck, and prosperity.
For over a thousand years, Luoyang has been reputed to be the "city of peony." As early as in the Tang and the Song dynasties, advanced floriculture, the custom of flower appreciation, and peony-related poetry, calligraphy, painting, legends, and garments had already appeared in Luoyang, and the peony culture stemming from these is an important part of the Heluo culture. In addition to pleasing the eyes, peony is of high economic value as its petals, seeds, roots, and pollen can all be used to make medicine, food, wine, cosmetics, and tonic tea.
A Peony Fair has been held in Luoyang every spring in April and May since 1983. At the International Peony Competition held in May 2019 during the International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing, the Luoyang peony won 221 awards, ranking first of all candidates in terms of the total number of awards and the respective numbers of awards in different categories, once again corroborating its unrivaled reputation.
