Peony Cultural Tourism Festival in Wuding County, Chuxiong

Chinese Name: 武定牡丹文化旅游节
English Name: Peony Cultural Tourism Festival in Wuding County, Chuxiong
Location:Lion Hill of Wuding County, Chuxiong

Peony in Wuding County

Wuding County is known as the “barricade of the provincial capital and the right arm of western Yunnan.” It serves as an important transportation hub in the Central Yunnan urban agglomeration, boasting unique natural landscapes such as the majestic and picturesque Lion Hill, the poetically beautiful Shucheng River, and the breathtaking Jiyi Grand Canyon.

Among these, Lion Hill, renowned as the “first mountain in Southwest China,” is the earliest place in the country to see peonies bloom. Legend has it that the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Jianwen, who took refuge as a monk in this area, personally planted the peony here. This old tree peony, with a flower diameter of up to 28 centimeters and more than 240 petals, has continued to bloom for over 600 years.

Inspired by the Jianwen peony, in 1988, Wuding County began to cultivate peonies extensively on Lion Hill, introducing numerous varieties from Luoyang in Henan, Heze in Shandong, Tongling in Anhui, Pengzhou in Sichuan, and Lijiang in Yunnan. They have cultivated dozens of distinctive varieties, such as Hui Emperor Purple and Luo Wu Xian Rui, gradually forming a scale of nine major color systems, 126 peony varieties, and over 40,000 plants.

The three peony gardens in the Lion Hill Scenic Area feature numerous rare varieties, including Erqiao, Yao Huang, Dou Lv, Hu Hong, Zhao Fen, and Qing Long Wo Mo Chi. Thanks to the large scale, diverse varieties, and early blooming characteristics of the Lion Hill peonies, the Wuding Peony Cultural Tourism Season has been held annually for over 30 years.

At the press conference, Shen Haiyan, Deputy Secretary of the Wuding County Committee of the Communist Party of China and County Mayor, introduced that Wuding County will utilize significant events and competitions, such as the Peony Cultural Tourism Season and the Torch Festival, to fully develop its identity as the “hometown of titanium warehouses,” “hometown of selenium-rich products,” “hometown of strong chickens,” “hometown of Yunnan medicine,” and “hometown of wine songs,” making “what others have, we excel” a distinctive regional cultural symbol, continuously enhancing Wuding’s popularity and reputation.

It is reported that the 2024 Peony Cultural Tourism Season in Wuding, Yunnan, has already begun. During this period, visitors can not only admire the magnificent peonies but also listen to powerful Yi ethnic wine songs, taste the delicious strong chicken, and appreciate the thousand-year-old Yi embroidery.

On March 18, the “Peony Blooms, Beautiful Wuding” news conference for the 2024 Peony Cultural Tourism Season was held in Kunming. According to the press conference, this year’s Wuding Peony Cultural Tourism Festival kicked off on March 15 and will continue until May 15. During this time, visitors can enjoy peonies, sea clouds, climb Lion Hill, and taste strong chicken in Wuding County of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

Ethnic Song and Dance Performances

Wuding boasts unique tourism resources and beautiful natural scenery, making it one of the 63 counties designated by the provincial government as a “strong tourism county in Yunnan.” The magnificent Lion Hill in Wuding is celebrated as “the first mountain in Southwest China” and “the green pearl of Central Yunnan,” featuring the highest elevation peony garden south of the Yangtze River. The awe-inspiring geological wonder of the Jiyi Grand Canyon is known as “a beautiful scar on Earth,” while the Shucheng River offers stunning scenery and the verdant Wan Song Mountain provides a picturesque backdrop.

Shucheng River Scenery

Wuding is rich in ethnic culture and has vibrant ethnic customs, featuring a wealth of profound and colorful folk cultural arts. Various traditional ethnic festivals, such as the Yi Torch Festival, the Miao Flower Mountain Festival, the Lisu Koshijie Festival, and the Dai Water Splashing Festival, all showcase unique cultural traditions.

The Yi ethnic wine songs of Wuding are recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Bailu Town has been designated as “the hometown of Yunnan folk culture and arts” by the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, while Huan Zhou Village has been listed as a “traditional cultural ecological protection area for the Yi people” by the provincial government. The Miao ethnic Lusheng dance in Chadian Changlinggang is famous in Central Yunnan, and the Miao farmers’ paintings from Shishan Town are distinctive in style.

During this year’s Peony Cultural Tourism Festival, Wuding County has launched a variety of activities, including a short video competition, cultural performances, a Wuding wine song challenge, artistic presentations featuring peonies, a competition showcasing embroidery skills of 100 embroiderers, a fashion show featuring ethnic clothing, beer music themed activities, a Wuding specialty snack exhibition, a light show, and a selection competition for e-commerce talents focusing on “Strong Chicken Stars” from each county.

Additionally, various towns in Wuding County will host cultural tourism activities celebrating traditional ethnic festivals, inviting visitors to enjoy the splendid spring scenery of Wuding.