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Blossoming business: Dounan's journey from bud to boom in fresh-cut flowers(People's Daily Online) 13:39, April 07, 2025
Located on the eastern shore of Dianchi Lake in Chenggong district, Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dounan is known as Asia's largest fresh-cut flower trading market.
In 2024, the market traded around 14.18 billion stems of fresh-cut flowers, generating 11.57 billion yuan (about $1.6 billion) in sales. It has led the nation in transaction volume and value for 25 consecutive years, exporting fresh-cut flowers to over 50 countries and regions, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Russia.
Over 40 years ago, villagers in Dounan relied on growing grains and vegetables. In 1983, a local farmer brought gladiolus seedlings from south China's Guangdong Province and planted them in his own field. The flowers flourished, and when he took them to market, they sold surprisingly well. That year, his flower sales brought in 3,000 yuan—dozens of times more than what he earned from vegetables.
Farmers sell fresh-cut flowers in Dounan, Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, in 1994. (Photo/Xinhua)
Enticed by the profits, locals swiftly switched to growing flowers. By 1990, 95 percent of local households had converted their vegetable plots into flower fields.
Hua Mingsheng, a 62-year-old flower farmer in Dounan, recalled that in the early days, farmers would bundle fresh-cut flowers and carry them on shoulder poles or in baskets, selling them along the streets. In the late 1990s, the Dounan Flower Market was established.
Tourists choose fresh-cut flowers at the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
As Dounan developed, Yunnan's flower industry flourished, and local farmers expanded from flower cultivation to services like packaging, logistics, and wholesale.
Photo shows a scene at the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
On Dec. 20, 2002, China's first auction-based flower trading center, the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center, opened in Dounan, marking the start of transparent, competitive pricing.
Wang Yang, the center's deputy general manager, explained that the auction follows a Dutch auction model—prices keep dropping until someone places a bid. This approach guarantees transparent pricing and quick payments. The center's standardized grading and post-harvest handling have motivated farmers to prioritize quality and precision in their management.
Photo shows a scene at the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
In 2024, the center handled an average of 7.06 million stems per day, with each transaction completed in just four seconds.
As Dounan's reputation continues to grow, its potential for floral tourism became evident. Visitors to the flower market often wear flower crowns and carry bouquets while browsing. Events like flower music festivals and night markets, along with floral-themed souvenirs such as handcrafted soaps and fridge magnets, create a rich, immersive experience.
A tourist poses for pictures at the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
In 2018, the Dounan Flower Market became a 3A-level tourist attraction. Last year, it received over 7.62 million tourist visits, cementing its status as a must-visit destination in Kunming.
Today, among Dounan's over 70,000 residents, 46,500 are engaged in flower-related industries. The town is home to over 3,300 flower-related enterprises and over 11,000 business entities, having grown from a simple flower production zone into a comprehensive floriculture service hub.
With such a thriving ecosystem, Dounan's flowers are destined to bloom brighter and farther than ever before.
A staff member of a flower company organizes fresh-cut flowers in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)
(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
