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Flower Power: Inspiring couple learns and teaches from plants
As Beijing's International Horticultural Expo continues, we take a look today at a vast flower garden in Sichuan province. Housing the world's largest variety of hollyhocks, it might be hard to imagine that the flower valley was built out of a husband granting his wife's wish. CGTN's Wei Lynn Tang shows us how this promise has blossomed into a whole new meaning of life.
Good love never grows old. Married 28 years, Zhou Xiaolin and Yin Jie still feel like they're "dating". Except now, they date with flowers. Native to China's Sichuan province, "lilium regale" or royal lilies, are in their blooming season now.
YIN JIE, OWNER THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS, SICHUAN PROVINCE "This native lily is one of the oldest ancestors of all lilies, and is also the modern gardening lily of the world. When foreign garden owners, who, in searching for roots for their lilies back home, step into our garden and see the birthplace of their flowers, they can't help but shed tears."
Nestled in the outskirts of Chengdu city, this flower valley is over 6 years in the making. Formerly a wasteland, Zhou Xiaolin turned it into an 800-thousand square meter garden, granting his wife's wish for a flower garden. These are Yinjie's favourite flowers - hollyhocks.
ZHOU XIAOLIN, OWNER THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS, SICHUAN PROVINCE "Two-thousand years ago, it was first discovered and cultivated in Sichuan. But over the years, hollyhocks have traveled the Silk Road. It took us 10 years to collect their seeds, and bring the flower back to where it belongs - its hometown."
Zhou says he has learned a lot in the process of planting flowers and likens it to one's life philosophy.
ZHOU XIAOLIN, OWNER THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS, SICHUAN PROVINCE "Our land has taught us to be honest. When do you sow the seeds? When do you water? When do you fertilize? You can't 'fake it', so to speak, in front of your land. It's the same with life - we should be down to earth, and treat it with sincerity, and with heart."
WEI LYNN TANG JINTANG COUNTY, SICHUAN PROVINCE "I have to say, I haven't seen anything quite like this before. A garden so vast, built on the foundation of a promise. This valley is a testament that flowers, just like the love of Zhou Xiaolin and Yinjie, requires daily nourishment, cultivation, and patience to not just flourish, but to last."
That, and a grateful heart, which Zhou Xiaolin says is lacking in today's society when it comes to understanding, respect, and giving thanks to plants. Despite not knowing anything about plants, Zhou has devoted his life to studying them. Advice from experts and books was and still is his best friend.
ZHOU XIAOLIN, OWNER THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS, SICHUAN PROVINCE "Every plant, from the point of sowing, it survives and grows stronger day by day. When it blossoms, it shows its most beautiful side. Just like us humans - we should also have that upward spirit in life. We ought to take our lives seriously. During the good times and bad, we have to be happy and to live healthily."
Life is much simpler and happier now for this couple. They hope to leave this earth a better place than before they came, with the aim of promoting the beauty of Sichuan province and China, through flowers, to the rest of the world. WLT, CGTN, Jintang County in Sichuan province." |
发表于 2019-7-12 22:52:21