Nestled in eastern China’s Shandong Province, the city of Heze has long been known as China’s peony capital, where sprawling fields of layered, fragrant blooms draw visitors every spring. But in mid-April 2026, the city proved it offers far more than just picturesque floral displays, when it played host to the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum on April 11.
The event drew a diverse crowd of guests from every corner of the globe, who traveled to Heze not just to admire the peonies in full spring bloom, but to engage in open, people-to-people cross-cultural exchange rooted in the shared connection of the city’s iconic flower. Attendees spanned multiple sectors and backgrounds: from international journalists and media professionals covering China’s cultural development, to foreign students and educators studying at Chinese institutions, all united by a curiosity to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture and people-to-people ties.
Organized around the central theme of peony as a cultural bond, the forum created intentional space for informal dialogue and firsthand connection, allowing global guests to move beyond secondhand narratives and experience Heze’s unique cultural heritage directly. What began as a celebration of one of China’s most beloved traditional flowers has grown into a platform for building global mutual understanding, proving that floral culture can serve as a soft, accessible entry point for cross-border friendship and collaboration. For Heze, the forum marks another step in positioning the city as a welcoming hub for international exchange, where ancient cultural traditions meet modern global dialogue.