Flower markets bloom with sales ahead of Chinese New Year

As the Chinese Year of the Horse approaches, flower markets across China are heating up with activity, with a growing number of customers shopping for potted plants and floral decorations for the new year.

At the Beijing Flower Trading Center, flowers of various colors and types are attracting customers of all ages.

Among the most popular items are new orchid varieties with pouch-shaped petals that hold blessing cards for the new year.

Creative new designs, such as horse-shaped flower vases and pots, are also catching the eyes of many customers.

In Foshan City of south China's Guangdong Province, flower sellers even designed a potted plant featuring Phalaenopsis orchids arranged in the form of a galloping horse, evoking the joyful spirit of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

"This year marks the Year of the Horse, which carries the auspicious meaning of 'achieving immediate success.' Creative products here sell significantly better. Our sales volume for the New Year season has already grown by one third," said a flower seller in Foshan.

Apart from orchid flowers, red-colored amaryllis and kumquat trees, which symbolize good luck and prosperity, are also among the most popular choices.

In southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Lijiang Modern Flower Industry Park is seeing their calla lilies in white, gold, pink, purple, and many other colors being ordered by an increasing number of clients.

At the Dounan Flower Market -- known as the "flower capital of Asia" -- in Kunming, Yunnan Province, some florists have set up live-streaming rooms right at their stalls, making it easier for customers to buy flowers online and have them shipped directly to their homes.

Logistics companies have also opened priority channels for fresh flower delivery.

"Next-day delivery services are now available in approximately 15 provinces and dozens of cities across the country, while within Kunming, half-day delivery is offered to customers," said Ma Jiangjiang, manager of a local logistics company.

Flower markets bloom with sales ahead of Chinese New Year

U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to China will be the first visit to China by a U.S. president since Trump visited almost nine years ago, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to 15, said spokesman Guo Jiakun at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

"President Xi Jinping will have in-depth exchanges of views with President Trump on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations, as well as world peace and development. Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-U.S. relations. China stands ready to work with the United States to expand cooperation and manage differences in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit, and provide more stability and certainty for a transforming and volatile world," said Guo.

The two presidents first met in 2017, a year marked by an exchange of state visits that set the tone for their interactions.

Xi and Trump met last time in October 2025 in Busan, the Republic of Korea.

Over the years, head-of-state diplomacy has anchored China-U.S. relations, serving as a stabilizing force amid shifting global currents. Since Trump's re-election, Xi has spoken with him by phone five times, maintaining close communication on bilateral ties and geopolitical issues.

Trump to visit China for first time in almost nine years