China's "peony capital" hosts int'l forum, showcasing floral charm

The 2025 Heze Peony International Communication Forum has opened in Heze, east China's Shandong Province, celebrated as the "peony capital of China."

This grand convergence of culture, diplomacy, and innovation unites diplomats, artists, and scholars to explore the peony’s role in cultural diplomacy.

Every April, the forum transforms the city into a fragrant sea of blooms, welcoming visitors from around the world to admire the peony, a traditional Chinese floral symbol of beauty and prosperity, cherished by international attendees.

"The best example is what is on my head, this is a flower hoop and when I saw it, I was just like, oh yes, I want it. I wanted to have it on my head, because the flowers are so big and beautiful. It's beautiful when you're seeing so many peonies are out," said Anzelika Smirnova, a foreign expert, Cultural Communication Center, China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration.

Heze, the world's largest hub for peony breeding, cultivation, research, processing, export, and appreciation, has recently enhanced its peony characteristics and cultivation techniques, developing nine major color schemes, 10 flower types, and over 1,300 varieties.

Every year, internationally renowned photographers flock to the city to capture the beauty of peonies, immersing themselves in the flower's vibrant and culturally rich heritage during this picturesque season.

"I will try to show to the world my best with my photography about the province of Shandong and especially for Heze because its magical how the visual arts transcend different cultures and because of photography, I come here in China, and I have friends here in China. I saw how the people and the flowers are connecting with each other," said Hristo Dimitrov, Deputy Liaison Officer for Bulgaria, International Federation of Photographic Art.

These blooms are not only a feast for the eyes - they are also a bridge that connects China to the world.

China's "peony capital" hosts int'l forum, showcasing floral charm

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. military had used as many as 155 warplanes to rescue the second airman in Iran and was forced to destroy some cargo planes that got stuck to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands.

"We blew up the old planes," Trump told a press conference at the White House while focusing on details of the rescue.

The warplanes reportedly contained communications equipment and anti-missile technology that the Pentagon did not want Iran to seize.

The search-and-rescue mission was then removed by "faster, lighter planes," Trump said.

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine told reporters that the U.S. A-10 Warthog downed on Friday was conducting a "sandy" mission -- positioning itself between the rescue force and enemy fire.

The aircraft was hit multiple times by Iranian fire, but the pilot managed to fly it out of Iran before ejecting over friendly territory, Caine said.

Trump says U.S. used 155 warplanes to rescue airman in Iran