BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Standing beneath a "flower cascade," visitors felt like they had entered a floral wonderland. The display of thousands of butterfly orchids mesmerized everyone and became a popular photo spot.

It was a standout attraction at Beijing Garden of World's Flowers during the Spring Festival. This year, the garden has been bursting with vibrant colors and fragrant blooms, making it a must-visit destination.

Another highlight of the garden was the Hippeastrum exhibition, which featured 35 varieties from around the world and nearly 1,000 plants.

Hippeastrum, known for its auspicious name "Zhu Ding Hong" (a homophone for "certain to thrive" in Chinese), symbolizes good luck and prosperity, according to Shi Wenfang, director of the Beijing Garden of World's Flowers.

"This is our first time displaying so many Hippeastrum varieties, half of which are imported. Their unique shapes, bright colors, and symbolic meanings have made them a major attraction," said Shi. "During the Spring Festival holiday, we welcomed around 35,000 visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year."

As China's Spring Festival gains global attention, it has become an opportunity for the world to share in the Chinese market. Throughout the holiday, flowers from both domestic and international growers decorated parks, malls and homes, adding to the festive vibes and driving economic growth.

Statistics show that Beijing's parks welcomed about 9.38 million visits during the 8-day holiday. Popular flower-related events, like the family flower arrangement at Yuyuantan Park and the orchids exhibition at Zhongshan Park, attracted many visitors to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

During the holiday, flower sales also achieved remarkable success.

"More than 50,000 bunches of Hippeastrum have nearly sold out. Our overall sales of flowers around Chinese New Year have increased by about 30 percent compared to the same period last year," said Liu Meng, head of Beijing Hualanzi Technology Co., Ltd.

Ecuadorian roses were also very popular, with over 40,000 sold before and during the Spring Festival holiday. The easier import channels and lower prices made them a top choice, according to Liu.

As living standards rise, there's a growing demand for diverse, high-quality flowers. Liu said the import of flowers provides consumers with more options, helping to meet their needs and becoming a key part of holiday shopping for younger generations.

This year, a "New Year Flower Treasure Map" was introduced to simplify flower shopping in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. With a simple QR code scan, buyers can find district-specific flower varieties, farm locations, and purchasing details down to individual growers, their locations, varieties and quantities.

In Guangzhou's Zengcheng District, 18 villages in Zhongxin Township have developed a flower industry that generates an annual output value of 57 million yuan (about 7.95 million U.S. dollars). With nearly 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares) of planted area, it has helped over 1,500 villagers boost their income.

China has emerged as the world's largest flower producer, with a flower planting area of 1.5 million hectares and over 5 million workers in the industry, according to the China Flower Association. Enditem

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