2026 World Peony Conference and Heze International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival Opens

On April 10th, the 2026 World Peony Conference and the 35th Heze International Peony Cultural Tourism Festival kicked off at Huimengtai in Heze, Shandong Province. Li Xiaolong, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, attended the conference and delivered a speech, alongside many leaders and guests including Zhao Changmao, former Vice President of the Central Party School, and Zhang Lun, Secretary of Heze Municipal Party Committee.

According to People’s Daily Online, Li Xiaolong pointed out that Shandong is a major province of forestry and grassland, and Heze peonies are a bright pearl among Shandong’s forestry and grassland resources. "By taking peonies as a link, Heze has built a complete industrial chain covering planting, processing, tourism and cultural creativity, which is not only the inheriting craftsmanship of Heze people, but also a vivid practice of Shandong’s adherence to the concept of ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’," he said.

Li Xiaolong added that Shandong will continue to strengthen land greening and support Heze in peony variety cultivation and intensive processing, so as to extend the industrial chain and increase added value, making the peony a more brilliant business card of the times. According to Guangming Daily, Heze peonies have a long history, and the city has been committed to promoting the high-quality development of the peony industry in recent years.

Sun Bo, Deputy Director of Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Deputy Director of Shandong Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics, stated in his speech that Heze is renowned as the "Peony Capital of China". "Heze’s cultural tourism is transforming from sightseeing to leisure vacation and in-depth experience with new formats and scenarios," he said, adding that the department will continue to support Heze’s cultural tourism development and peony industry upgrading.

On behalf of the municipal Party committee, government and 10 million Heze people, Zhang Lun extended a warm welcome to the guests. "In Heze, peonies are not only scenery in gardens, but also a daily sight in thousands of families, embodying the Oriental philosophy of ‘each beauty has its own beauty, and all beauties coexist harmoniously’," he said, inviting guests to attend the spring feast and experience the profoundness of Chinese culture.

Subsequently, participating leaders and guests jointly touched the starting pillar to launch the 2026 Heze Peony Festival. During the conference, videos of the "Flower Prosperity - Heze Peony Calligraphy and Painting Art Exhibition" and the Kyrgyzstan branch venue of the 2026 World Peony Conference were played.

The "Travel with the Yellow River to Meet the Sea" national travel merchants’ Shandong tour - "Gather at the Cultural Tourism Feast and Discover Treasure Shandong" collection activity was also launched. Pan Yikui, Director of the National Art Museum of China, and Yan Jiangying, Chairman of China Association of Fragrance Flavor and Cosmetics Industry, delivered keynote speeches.

According to China Economic Net, Li Yucai, Director of the Special Committee of the Peony Industry Branch of China Economic Forestry Association, Li Peiwu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and other experts, foreign friends, and representatives of peony planting and processing enterprises also attended the event, injecting strong impetus into the development of Heze’s peony industry.