The Chinese government has postponed the selection of the peony, which has been considered the most likely choice for the country's symbol, the national flower, and has not yet decided on it, even 30 years after the study began. It has become.
Based on a nationwide survey conducted 30 years ago in 1994, the Chinese government has been considering selecting the ``national flower'' with a focus on the ``peony'', which is native to China and has been popular since ancient times.
However, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, which is in charge of the selection, announced on the 30th that it had postponed making a decision, saying, ``There is still a wide gap in opinion, and the time is not ripe.'' Even though it has been 30 years since consideration began.
Regarding China's national flower, in a survey conducted by a government-affiliated organization in 2019, nearly 80% of people supported the ``peony,'' while previous discussions by the government have shown that in addition to the ``plum,'' There were also opinions such as ``orchid'' and ``lotus.''
However, ``peony'' has an image of being a luxury flower in China, and on social media there were comments such as ``It is very expensive and does not represent a wide range of Chinese people.''
In addition, the plum was considered the national flower during the period when mainland China was ruled by the Kuomintang, but in the ensuing civil war, the Kuomintang was defeated by the Communist Party and fled to Taiwan.
The Chinese government may be cautious in making decisions amid complex circumstances such as dissatisfaction with the disparity between rich and poor and Taiwan, and the controversy over the national flower is likely to continue for some time.