Down the Grand Canal to the South: Caozhou

Seven-character Quatrain on Caozhou Peonies Wei Zi and Yao Huang blaze in the dawn sky, Heavenly fragrance drifts over the ancient city's east. A thousand layers of national beauty, creamy and smooth, Claiming the first blush of spring's glory. Caozhou, an ancient place name in Shandong, belongs to Heze City, and has long been known as a "strong and fierce prefecture" and a "major metropolis." It is the famous peony capital of China. Caozhou peony cultivation has a history of a thousand years, flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its varieties are numerous, and its beauty is in no way inferior to that of Luoyang. Mid-April is the best viewing period, but unfortunately, the strong winds of the past few days have blown off many blossoms. Those that survived could be called "wind strong"... 1.5.9. The picture shows the ancient Chanxiang Temple (over 1700 years old) from the Jin Dynasty in the Peony Garden. Caozhou Peony Garden