Cultivating youth

Modern Chinese garden design and landscaping has been greatly influenced by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) artists who placed more weight on naturalism, which promoted asymmetrical beauty, according to Wang Lianying, a flower arrangement artist with the association.

Wang, for one, believes symmetry, with straight columns and lines, would look rigid and unnatural.

She is strongly against tying flowers up with knots to this end.

Yet, she stresses that naturalism does not mean arranging the flowers chaotically or prosaically.

"There are still limits. One should always follow the botanical principles to keep the appearance natural," Wang says.

Since Liang's retirement in 2017, he has kept practicing the art and tried to spread its beauty in various occasions, ranging from flower arrangement competitions, exhibitions and lectures.