LuoyangPeonyHanHongbiao韩红彪FirstpartBriefIntroductionTheDevelopmentofpeonyThesymbolofthepeonyBriefIntroduction•Peony,afloweringplantuniqueinChina,isakindofdeciduous(每年落叶的)sub-shrub(灌木)ofcommonpeonygenus(种),buttercupfamily(毛茛科),growsinhillyareasofShaanxi(陕西),Gansu,Sichuan,ShandongandHenanprovince.•Names:ShrubbyShaoyao(orTree-Peony);Luoyangflower;Grain-rain(谷雨,4月20日)flowerandWealth&HonorFlower.Thepeonyisfirstrecordedinwrittenformin“ShenNongherbalclassic”betweenthefirstandsecondcentury.Sincethe5thor6thcenturyintheperiodofSouthern-and-NorthernDynasty,thepeonyistreatedasanornamental(装饰的)plantandpaintedinChinesepaintings.ItbeginstobegrownintheSuiDynasty.ItispopularintheTangDynasty.Theirflowerwereknownas“thefinestoftheirkind”intheSongDynasty.TheDevelopmentofpeonyWealthandHonorluckprosperity富贵吉祥,繁荣昌盛ThesymbolofthepeonyPeonyFlowersinLuoyang,Finestunderheaven.A.Firstofall,itisrelatedtothedevelopedgardensandwoodsinancientLuoyang.B.Secondly,itisduetothetraditionofbeingfondofflowersbythelocalpeople.C.Thethird,itisbecauseofthefavorablenaturalconditions.D.Thefourth,anumberofwell-knownChinesepoems,proseandstoriesfromathousandyearsagomightbeofhelptospreadthereputationofthepeonyfarandwide.WhyandhowdopeoniesofLuoyangbecomethefinestonearth?SecondpartA.Inthepastthousandsofyears,LouyanghasbeenthecentreofChina,LuoyangwasthecapitalofChinathen,Emperors,ministers(大臣),generalsandnobility(贵族)ofeachdynastywhohadgreatdemandforgardensandwoodsintheirpleasuretripsalllivedhere,andinaddition,lotsofmenoflettersandrefinedscholarsbuilttheirresidencesandvillasinLouyang,andtreesandflowersareneeded.Accordingtohistoricalrecords,fromHantoSong,palaces,residencesandgardensbuiltforemperors,bureaucrats(官僚),nobility,scholarsandmerchants(商人),becamescenesofmajestyandmagnificencewithstreetsandavenuesradiated(辐射)tovariousdirectionsinLuoyang.TheonlyjoyousdayforhumanbeingsistheColdFoodFestival,whilethecelebratedgardensontheeartharemostlyinLouyong.•ShaoYong(邵雍),thegreatphilosopherintheNorthernSongdynasty.•人间佳节惟寒食,天下明园重洛阳B.ThetraditionofbeingfondofpeoniesAccordingtocertainhistorybooks,duringtheNorthernSong,peoniesweregrownineveryhomeinLuoyang.Thelocalresidentsregardedpeonyastheonlyworthwhilefloweringplantunderheaven,whileshowingcontempttoothers.Sopeonyhasanothername:LuoyangFlower.Duringthefloweringseason,allparksinthecitywouldbecrowdedwithvisitors.《买花》白居易帝城春欲暮,喧喧车马度。共道牡丹时,相随买花去。贵贱无常价,酬直看花数:灼灼百朵红,戋戋五束素。上张幄幕庇,旁织笆篱护。水洒复泥封,移来色如故。家家习为俗,人人迷不悟。有一田舍翁,偶来买花处。低头独长叹,此叹无人喻。一丛深色花,十户中人赋!BuyingFlowersDuringthelatespringintheimperialcapital,peoplewentbyhorseandcarriagewithjoyfulbustle,talkingaboutpeoniesinthegardensandmarkets,wheretheywouldgoforenjoyingandbuyingflowers…Allgreatfamilyhavetheircustomtobuypeonyflowerswithoutpondering(考虑)thepriceverymuch,andareenchanted(着魔)withpeonies.C.TheFavorableNaturalConditions•Luoyang,whichislocatedinthemiddlepartofChina,isendowedwithfertilesoil,moderaterainfallandmildclimate.ThesoilandclimateofLouyangismostlysuitableforflowers,ofwhichpeonyisexotic(奇异的)andrareunderheavenD.AnumberofChinesepoems,proseandstoriesofthepeony•Accordingto“thechronicle(编年史)ofChinesepeony”,thereare500poems,90songsand78proseonpeoniescomposedby230poetsandprosers,whofullyexpressedtheirfeelingsforpeonies.FromtheancientworkswecanseethecloserelationshipbetweenpeonyandChinesetraditionalcultureaswellasitscharmagainstalltheotherflowers.ThefamousTangpoetBaiJuyiardently(热烈的)lovedfloweringplantsespeciallypeonies.Helivedinluoyangfor18yearsandgrewpeoniesinhiscountyard.DuringhisstayinLouyang,hewroteanumberofpoemspraisingthepeony,andsome100ofthemarehandeddowntothisday.Oneofthemreads,“Xishiisthegreatestbeautyofalltimes,andpeonythequeenofallflowers.”(绝代只西子,众芳惟牡丹)BaialsoorganizedaPeony-bloomPoetryClubsothatheandhispoet-friendscouldoftengettogethertoenjoyandcomposepoemstosingthepraisesofthepeony.Itissaidthatthepoem,“Thepeony,theintoxicating(醉人的)beauty,neverfailstocreateafuror(骚乱)intheimperialcitywhenitbeginstobloom.”(唯有牡丹真国色,花开时节动京城)-wascomposedrightinBai’countyardbyLiuyuxi(刘禹锡),oneofhispoet-friends.AmongagreatnumberofpoetsintheTangandSongtimes,OuyangXiuwastheonewhocomposedthemostpoemstopraisepeony.HelovedthepeoniesofLuoyangverymuchallhislifeandcomposedlargenumberofworksaboutthepeony.Inhis“NotesonthePeoniesofLuoyang”(洛阳牡丹记),hevividlydescribedthelocalvarietiesandtheirorigins.Comparingthemwiththosegrownelsewhere,hewrotewithadmiration“ThebeautyofLuoyangpeoniescannotbeequatedwiththoseofanywhereelseinthecountry.Sincethen,thereputation,“PeonyFlowersintheLuoyang,Finestunderheaven”hasbeenspreadfarandwide.intoxicatingbeautywithmagicperfume.国色天香Therearealsosomemovingstoriestopublicizethepeony.DuringtheTangDynasty,ascholarnamedLiZhengfeng(李正封)wroteapoeminpraiseofthepeony,inwhichhesaid,“Itlookslikeadrunkenbeautyinthemorning,wrappedinathinsilkrobe(长袍)andscentedwithmagicperfumeintheevening.”(国色朝酣酒,天香夜染衣)EmperorXuanZongspokehighlyofthepoemandregardeditasavividdescriptionofhisfavoriteconcubineYangYu-huanwhenshewasabittipsy(微醉).Fromthenon,thepeonyhaswontheHonorof“intoxicatingbeautywithmagicperfum