Heze newspaper reporter Jiang Peijun.
On March 6, the 26th China Shandong Export Commodities Exhibition and Shandong Culture Exhibition opened in Osaka, Japan.
As early as the Tang Dynasty, the "peony business card" was well-known in Japan. In 1980, the original Heze Zhaolou Peony Garden exported 1,300 peonies to Japan. Since then, Heze Peony has become a "messenger" to enhance Sino-Japanese friendship and promote cultural exchanges.
Gongbi peony painting tells the story of Heze.
Rich peony, the world shares. On March 6, the 26th China Shandong Export Commodities Exhibition and Shandong Culture Exhibition was grandly opened in Osaka, Japan.
In this exhibition, we brought a total of more than 30 Gongbi peony paintings, involving a series of works such as Blossoming Wealth, National Colors and Heavenly Fragrance and Blooming Flowers, of which 16 works were publicly displayed. On March 6, Cheng Junwei, president of the Juye County Painting and Calligraphy Institute, who was participating in the exhibition in Osaka, Japan, said in an interview with reporters that Juye Gongbi peony painting integrates national flowers, Chinese paintings and national gifts, and is an outstanding representative of Heze peony derivatives, and is the leader of peony culture and peony calligraphy and painting art into thousands of households, and is a representative symbol of Heze peony industry to the international stage, and also a beautiful business card representing Shandong's characteristic culture.
Shandong is a major province of culture and tourism, facing Japan across the sea, geographically close and friendly exchanges have a long history. Peony is known as the national flower and has always been loved by the Chinese, and the peony with the national color and fragrance and the excellent traditional Chinese culture accumulated for thousands of years complement each other, forming the unique meaning and charm of peony. As a very representative auspicious symbol in the excellent traditional Chinese culture, peony is well-known all over the world and is a symbol of wealth, auspiciousness, beauty, peace and friendship. In recent years, Heze, the "Peony Capital of China", has actively built an exchange platform, concluded friendship bonds, continuously promoted the exchange and development of Chinese and Japanese cultures, and strived to shape the Heze peony brand and tell the story of peony. It is understood that peonies were introduced to Japan during the Tang Dynasty and were deeply loved by the Japanese people. On the kimono that Japanese women like to wear, the peony is also a popular pattern.
Juye is the hometown of Chinese Gongbi painting and Chinese peasant painting, and Gongbi peony painting is its master painting. On the basis of inheriting the traditional Chinese painting techniques, combined with modern technology means, the peony painting is made of intensive cultivation, rigorous outline, neat and elegant, and gorgeous colors, which fully demonstrates the graceful and luxurious characteristics of the peony. In recent years, Juye County has closely followed the national rural revitalization strategy, vigorously developed the peony painting industry, and deeply promoted the development of cultural "two creations".
It is understood that the exhibition also participated in the exhibition of Juye Gongbi peony painting cultural and creative products, corolla wine series products, peony stamen tea, Lurun Ejiao and so on.
A beautiful "business card" for Sino-Japanese exchanges
Recently, the Organizing Committee of the 2024 Heze Peony Festival issued the "Overall Plan of the 2024 Heze Peony Festival", and the theme of this year's Heze Peony Festival is "Let the world fall in love with Heze Peony". It is understood that the 2024 World Peony Conference will have two sub-venues in Shimane, Japan and Changshu, Jiangsu. At that time, the graceful and luxurious Heze peony will be unveiled in Shimane Prefecture, Japan.
The history of peony exchanges between Heze and Shimane Prefecture in Japan can be traced back to the eighties of the twentieth century. In October 1989, at the invitation of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, Zhao Xiaozhi, a peony expert in our city, visited Japan with the Chinese peony delegation as a technician and inspected the production, scientific research and sales of peony. At that time, the Chinese side established a Chinese peony garden in Hachishu Town, Shimane Prefecture. In 1990, Heze exported 3,400 peonies to Shimane Prefecture, Japan, involving 86 varieties such as Zhao Fen, Yao Huang, Doulu, Qinglong Womo Pond and Coral Terrace. In 1991, Heze exported 3,460 peonies to Shimane Prefecture, Japan, involving 60 varieties such as Yinhong Qiaodu, Heding Red, Lantian Jade, and Drunken Yang Fei. In 1992, Heze exported 3,140 peonies to Shimane Prefecture, Japan, involving 40 varieties such as rose red, cinnabar, mountain flowers, and laughter in the bushes.
In fact, the "peony business card" was famous in Japan as early as the Tang Dynasty. During the first century of the Tang Dynasty, the country was at its peak, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. At that time, Japan, which was separated from our country by a strip of water, had active exchanges with the Tang Dynasty, and the monk Kukai went to the Tang Dynasty to study Buddhism, and the splendid peonies made him fascinated. In addition to his training, Kukai often participates in the labor of maintaining peonies, and when he encounters something he does not understand, he asks his master for advice. Through hard work, Kukai finally mastered the skills of peony selection, flowering, bud retention, and breeding. Kukai studied in Datang for fourteen years. In 749 AD, he completed his studies in the Tang Dynasty and brought the peony to Dongying. After returning to Japan, he founded the Shingon sect at Daitoji Temple in Kyoto, and cultivated the peonies he brought with him in this temple, carefully maintained them every day, and soon the peonies bloomed and became loved by the Japanese people.
In 1980, Japan's well-known peony planting and management expert Abe Gong came to Heze to visit, on the exchange of peony varieties and the city's peony industry people to conduct a special discussion, and finally the two sides reached a three-year exchange plan: in the first year, Heze to Zhao Fen, Zi Erqiao and other 6 varieties, each 5 plants, exchange Japanese sun, Kao, Chu Wu and French golden owl, Jin Huang, Jin Emperor, Golden Pavilion and other 7 varieties, each 5 plants; There are more than 30 varieties exchanged in the second batch, all of which are planted in the small amusement park in the southeast corner of the old city wall of Heze; The third batch of peonies presented to each other about 60 peonies, all of which are everyone's favorite varieties, and most of the peonies obtained by Heze were transplanted to the warehouse nursery (the predecessor of Tianxiang Park). Through the exchange of peony varieties, the two sides learned about the development of international peony, added new members to the Heze peony family, and exchanged peony cultivation technology between the two sides, which promoted the improvement of peony cultivation technology of both sides. The friendly exchanges between Zhao Xiaoqing, an expert on peony in Heze, and Gong Abe, have enabled the people of both sides to appreciate each other's fine peonies without going abroad, and the peony has also become a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship.
In 1983, Ryoji Qiaoda, president of the Japan Peony Association, made a special trip to Heze. He especially likes the peony variety of Zhao Fan, and every time he sees it, he squats down, holds the peony flower, admires it carefully, and is reluctant to give up. Zhao Xiaowu and Qiao Tian Lianger, who were the relevant persons in charge of Zhaolou Village in Heze at that time, jointly planted a dragon cypress tree in the original Zhaolou Peony Garden on behalf of both parties. Later, it was called the "Friendship Tree".
Physical archives bear witness to the friendship between China and Japan.
The Mudan District Archives has 5 physical archives from Japan, of which 3 are prints, which are works of art by famous Japanese artists; a kimono artwork ornament, which is a Japanese silk human hair craft product; A woodcut head, a mascot for Japanese customs.
It is understood that these five physical archives were donated by the Japan-China Friendship Association in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. In the early eighties of the twentieth century, the former county-level Heze City and Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, became sister cities. In 1984, the mayor of the city, Takagi Bo, led a delegation to Heze to learn the planting and breeding technology of precious peony varieties and exchange experience.
Since the eighties of the twentieth century, Heze has exported peonies to Japan every year. As the president of the Heze Peony Chamber of Commerce, Wu Yonghua knows the export situation of Heze peony very well, "It is no exaggeration to say that Heze peony has become a beautiful business card for Sino-Japanese exchanges. ”
Today, the Kao, Shima Nishiki, Asahiko, Hanajing, Renhe, and Shimasho that we commonly see in Heze are all Japanese peony varieties. Zhao Xiaoqing introduced, "Over the years, we have introduced a lot of Japanese peony varieties, and now Japanese peony varieties have become one of the mainstream varieties in Heze." ”
Peony culture is an important part of China's excellent traditional culture, which contains the beautiful meaning of wealth, auspiciousness, prosperity and prosperity, and is highly consistent with the theme of the times of peace and development in today's world. Peony trees bring infinite spring, and may they always become the messengers of friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese peoples.