A day in the flower industry: From fields to customers

At 3 a.m., a flower cultivation base in Beijing's Shunyi district is already firing on all cylinders. Freshly transplanted flowers, meticulously sorted, are neatly stacked in the warehouse. Delivery workers are busy wrapping flowers in thermal cotton, packing them into foam boxes, and loading them onto logistics trucks.

Photo shows tulips during the Tulip Cultural Festival at the Beijing International Flower Port. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

This cultivation base has been a longtime supplier of fresh flowers to the Beijing International Flower Port and other places.

Meanwhile, about 1,000 kilometers away in Dounan subdistrict, Chenggong district, Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province, a wholesale flower company buzzes with similar vitality. A flower wholesaler surnamed Cao and his colleagues are racing against the clock to pack cut flowers purchased the previous day from the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center. Soon, dedicated airplanes of SF Express, a Chinese express delivery services provider, will transport tens of thousands of fresh flowers to meet customers around the world.

At 6 a.m., Liu Haipeng, general manager of the Beijing International Flower Port, is already inspecting new tulip varieties in the test field.

Flowers are sensitive to climate and environmental change, with high temperatures often leading to pest infestations and high humidity causing diseases, which means that flower workers need to stick to their posts in worse weather conditions. Recently, when Beijing issued a strong wind warning, Liu led a team of flower growers to establish a two-hour patrol task force, maintaining 24-hour continuous monitoring to ensure the safety of the flowers.

In the past, the flower port depended almost entirely on imports. Today, it has achieved self-sufficiency and supplied flowers to markets nationwide through its e-commerce platform.

At 10 a.m., flower growers from surrounding villages arrive at the flower port on schedule, setting up their stalls to sell fresh flowers. Thanks to the thriving flower industry, individual farmers who lived at the mercy of weather conditions a decade ago have become flower growers.

Customers select fresh flowers at the Beijing Flower Trading Center. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Established in 2007 as a key functional component for the seventh China Flower Expo, the flower port now operates five exhibition halls covering approximately 25,000 square meters. In January 2025, its distribution center recorded sales of nearly 23.71 million yuan ($3.27 million) and welcomed 62,000 tourist visits.

With about 1.5 million hectares dedicated to flower cultivation and more than 5 million people involved in the flower industry, China has become the world's largest flower producer, and an important flower trader and consumer. The country has built a complete flower industry chain, covering flower cultivation, research and development, transportation and sales.

At 1 p.m., a merchant surnamed Wu at the Beijing Flower Trading Center and Cao at the Kunming International Flora Auction Trading Center focus on the bidding of fresh flowers.

Flower merchants only need to log into the auction trading system to participate in real-time bidding. The auctioned fresh flowers from Yunnan are scheduled for delivery to various flower shops, shopping malls, and even neighborhood entrances in Beijing and surrounding areas within 24 hours. This efficient cross-regional coordination makes the flow of flowers smoother.

Cao has been in the flower auction business for over a decade. He purchases between 400,000 to 500,000 stems of cut flowers on average each day.

Yunnan stands as China's largest cut flower production base. Yunnan SF Express Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SF Express, has opened over 80 direct flight routes, delivering tens of thousands of stems of fresh flowers nationwide. A streamlined modern logistics system not only delivers fragrant flowers to more consumers but also injects fresh vitality into the "flower economy" while adding zest to everyday life.

A tourist poses for photos at the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Xinbo)

From transactions at traditional offline flower markets to emerging e-commerce platforms and real-time flower auctions, the evolution of flower trading methods reflects China's booming flower industry.

At 5 p.m., the Beijing Flower Trading Center remains packed with customers amid the lingering scent of blossoms. Here, flowers represent more than mere commodities—they offer emotional value and add color to life. Buying flowers has become part of Chinese people's daily life.

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's flower imports and exports reached $710 million in 2023, with exports to 119 countries and regions.