Peony 牡丹花

The great Chinese poet Li Bai, from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), once compared concubine Yang Yuhuan's beautiful face to blooming peonies in his famous poem Qing Ping Diao. "Floating clouds remind me of her clothes, and peonies her face," he wrote.

Flowering in May, peonies' large petals and strong colors are linked to prosperity and richness in traditional Chinese culture. Thus, it became very popular during the Tang Dynasty, a period of time when Chinese people preferred magnificent and glorious things, such as fat and strong horses and large flowers. In the late Qing Dynasty, the peony was chosen as the national flower.

In many New Year pictures, fairy children always hold peonies that bear people's wishes for an auspicious and rich new year.

Dried peony petals can also be added in tea and traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate pain caused by menstruation.

唐朝偉大詩人李白曾在《清平調》中把楊玉環的絕色容顏比作盛放的牡丹花：“云想衣裳花想容”。

五月盛開的牡丹花大色艷，寓意富貴榮華。自唐代以來，世人甚愛牡丹。晚清時期牡丹被確立為國花。

年畫中經常描繪仙童手捧牡丹，代表著人們吉祥富貴的新年愿望。

牡丹干花被加入茶和中藥中，可緩解痛經。

點擊這里聽《牡丹之歌》