The Camellia Cultural Tourism Festival of Zixi Mountain, Chuxiong
Chinese Name: 楚雄山茶花文化旅游节
The Camellia Cultural Tourism Festival of Zixi Mountain, Chuxiong
Location: Zixi Mountain, Chuxiong
Chuxiong is one of the main native habitats of Camellia and the family of Camellia plants in Yunnan. It is the place with the most and the most concentrated ancient cultivated Camellia trees in existence today. With rich resources of Camellia flowers, there are over a thousand ancient Camellia trees that are more than a hundred years old. Chuxiong is one of the primary native areas for Yunnan Camellia, and the artificial cultivation of Camellia has a history of over 800 years. The Camellia is a famous flower in the world and is also the municipal flower of Chuxiong City. The people of all ethnic groups in Chuxiong love Camellia flowers, beautifying the environment and their lives with them, and consider the Camellia to be a sacred flower for worshiping heaven, honoring gods, and honoring ancestors. Buddhism regards the Camellia as the sacred mandala flower. Scholars and literati admire the Camellia’s resilience against frost and snow, and its outstanding qualities that lead among flowers, resulting in countless poems and literary praises. Over the years, Chuxiong City has closely integrated the Camellia flower with the local Yi culture, embedding it into all aspects of the lives, culture, material, and spiritual essence of the people of Chuxiong, forming a Camellia culture steeped in a strong local ethnic cultural sentiment.
Since 2007, Chuxiong City has consistently hosted a series of activities for the Camellia Culture Festival every year, and this year marks the eighth Camellia Culture Festival in Chuxiong City. Riding the momentum from the successful International Camellia Conference held in 2012, efforts have been made to further leverage advantages, vigorously cultivate and develop the Camellia industry, and explore and promote Camellia culture. Several publications have been edited and published, including “China: Yunnan Chuxiong Camellia,” “Ancient Camellias of Chuxiong,” and the “Proceedings of the 2012 International Camellia Conference.” Films such as “Hometown of Camellia – China Chuxiong,” a television essay “Beautiful Chuxiong Camellia,” and the promotional video “Love Camellia, Love Chuxiong” have been produced. Long-form novels like “Chudie Fei” and “Zixi” and essay collections like “Spring in Lucheng” and “Love for Camellia” have been published, along with a digital movie “Camellia Yi Girl” showcasing the blend of Camellia and Yi culture. Active advocacy is made for citizens to cherish and protect Camellias, advancing the construction of a Camellia city. Efforts are also being made to further open up and invigorate commerce, using Camellias as a medium to strengthen economic and technological exchanges and cooperation with surrounding areas. The “Chuxiong City Management Measures for the Protection and Development of Camellia Resources (Trial)” has been formulated and implemented, with some ancient Camellia trees receiving designated protection and responsible oversight. Meanwhile, radio and television media have been utilized to promote Chuxiong Camellias, creating a favorable atmosphere for the protection and rational development of Chuxiong’s Camellia resources. Further exploration of the cultural aspects of Chuxiong Camellias in poetry, cuisine, crafts, and literature is encouraged, as the scale of the festival is expanded and the level of organization is enhanced, thus promoting the steady and healthy development of the Camellia industry in Chuxiong City.
