The Dounan Flower Market, located in Kunming City, capital of Yunnan Province in southwest China, is poised to establish a dominant position in the global market due to its extensive range of floral varieties, desirable quality, and affordable prices. The flourishing flower market serves as the source for over 70 percent of flowers shipped across China. Seven out of every 10 flowers in the country come from this flower market.
For many Chinese people, buying fresh-cut flowers has increasingly become a part of daily life.
"There are so many more options to choose from when buying flowers here for my girlfriend. I got these roses, and they cost only 25 yuan (3.45 U.S. dollars)," said a visitor.
Three decades ago, the Dounan Flower Market was simply a street lined with roadside stalls selling flowers. However, it has since transformed into Asia's largest and the world's second-largest fresh-cut flower trading market after Amsterdam.
"Yunnan Province boasts over 300 varieties of flowers, with seven out of 10 flowers in China being produced here. The exquisite floral diversity from Yunnan reaches over 50 countries and regions, contributing to an impressive export value of approximately 3.4 billion yuan (470 million U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2024," said Qian Chongjun, CEO of Yunnan Dounan Flower Group.
The market experiences two bustling periods every day. From 08:00 to 17:00, both tourists and locals flock to shop for their favorite flowers, with the blooms during this time being particularly popular.
"We arrive early to arrange our flowers at the stalls, personally trim them, package them into finished products, and eagerly await potential buyers," said Li Ming, a seller.
The morning trading session concludes by 17:30, signaling the arrival of the night vendors.
There's a noticeable difference at night. Unlike the roses and sunflowers seen in the morning, the evening brings a variety of flowers unfamiliar to many.
"During the night, our customers mainly consist of wholesalers. To guarantee the freshness of the flowers, they are sent express in the midnight to reach their destinations the following morning. By the afternoon, these flowers can be found in various flower shops," said Zhang Han, a seller.
Nowadays, flowers sent from the Dounan Flower Market are delivered to over 200 cities across China in just 48 hours by road, rail or air.
Courier services such as EMS and ZTO Express are ubiquitous in this area.
In Dounan, out of the 70,000 permanent residents, 40,000 are involved in the flower industry. Here, all the necessary flower plants thrive, benefiting from the terrain advantage and unique natural and climatic conditions.
Experts predict that the Dounan Flower Market is in a favorable position to surpass Amsterdam and become the leading global hub for fresh-cut flower trading over the next 10 years.
Yunnan's flourishing flower market poised for global dominance
