China News Service, Guangzhou, February 6th: Flower market situation of three generations of flower farmers in Guangzhou
Author Cai Minjie Fu Qianyi
Guangzhou Yuexiu West Lake Flower Market, known as the "Centennial Flower Market", opened on the 6th. At 4 o'clock in the morning that day, Ye Xiaohui, a flower farmer born in the 1990s, transported nearly half a ton of bell flowers from Zhaoqing, Guangdong to the West Lake Flower Market in Guangzhou, more than 100 kilometers away. "Three generations of our family have been flower farmers, and we have been associated with the flower market for about 50 years." For Ye Xiaohui's family, the flower market is like an old friend, and regular customers come to chat about home affairs.
Ye Xiaohui (3rd from left) introduces bell flowers to customers. Photo by Cai Minjie
After the West Lake Flower Market opened that day, many Guangzhou residents, old and young, took advantage of the warm winter sunshine to go for "good fortune" and "good fortune." 163 stalls attracted people from home and abroad. Among them, the golden fruit, which means "five generations under one roof", the Phalaenopsis, which means "all your wishes come true", and the peach blossom, which means "beautiful love", are the most popular.
The bell flower, also known as the bell flower, has been a famous flower in Lingnan since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has the beautiful meaning of "when the golden bell rings, there will be ten thousand taels of gold". Ye Xiaohui's stall displays bell flowers of various heights, and regular customers come to help them from time to time. "I contacted them to buy flowers before the market opened this year. The price of flowers this year is the same as in previous years, and the flowers are in good condition." Guangzhou citizen Aunt Zhong took away a bell flower and wished Ye Xiaohui a Happy New Year.
Ye Xiaohui's family has been selling bell flowers since her grandfather's generation. "At that time, there was no large flower market in Guangzhou, so my grandfather took a boat from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to sell flowers. The shipping fee was very expensive at that time, and there were no porters at the pier. Every time before and after the Spring Festival, my grandfather would shuttle back and forth at the pier until he had sold more than 100 flowers in total. "We carried all the kilograms of bell flowers on the boat." Ye Xiaohui said that at that time, Hong Kong citizens bought all their flowers, which made her grandfather very happy, so every year they shipped them from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to sell flowers, and this continued for 20 years. Year.
Later, as the Guangzhou Flower Market grew in size, around the end of the 1980s, Ye Xiaohui's father, Ye Shiqiang, returned to the Guangzhou Flower Market.
“When it comes to the bell flower, I can’t write enough words.” Ye Shiqiang, a flower farmer who is nearly 60 years old, has been associated with the bell flower for most of his life. He recalled, “When I was a child, my father took me to Hong Kong to sell flowers. Later, my father passed away. , I took my 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter to Guangzhou to look for business opportunities." Ye Shiqiang said that what touched him most was the enthusiasm of Guangzhou neighbors. "When we were in financial difficulties, it was the support of these old customers that allowed us to have income during the Chinese New Year, buy some new year's goods, and buy some new sets of clothes for the children. Many customers and friends in Guangzhou looked at me and When the children grow up, they will also give them New Year red envelopes." Ye Shiqiang said that compared to making money, he believes that more important is the connection with customers and friends, which is also a good blessing for the New Year.
Today, Ye Xiaohui gradually takes over the "inheritance stick" from her father and runs the Diao Zhonghua base. "My father has planted bell flowers on several hills. The flowers are exported to Hong Kong and Macao. Sales to Hong Kong this year have doubled year-on-year." Ye Xiaohui said.
The golden fruit of "Five Generations Under One Roof" has a bright golden color and beautiful shape. It has become very popular in the New Year flower market in recent years. At the "Five Generations Under One Roof" golden fruit stall at the West Lake Flower Market, "post-00s" Zhang Yaoheng set up the stall with his family, and even called on many classmates to help sell New Year flowers.
In Zhang Yaoheng's impression, three generations of his family have been selling flowers at the West Lake Flower Market for 18 years. "Compared to the past, the flower market is now more popular and has a full New Year flavor." He said that in order to attract more young people to like New Year flowers, they now sell flowers in the West Lake Flower Market. The appearance of the golden fruit has been innovated. "In the past, there were only two display methods: potted plants or single branches. Now, many blessing pendants are placed on the fruits, which are rich in color and more beautiful."
"The tradition of selling flowers can be passed down forever. It has the same meaning as the golden fruit, 'Five generations living under one roof, passed down from generation to generation.'" Zhang Yaoheng is preparing to take the college entrance examination and will minor in business courses in the future. "I want to expand the flower selling business." The bigger it gets, the more it will expand to mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," he said. (over)