Chinese roses generate wealth in Nanyang, C China's Henan

Photo shows blooming Chinese roses in a park in Nanyang, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuxing)

Chinese roses, the city flower of Nanyang in central China's Henan Province, have grown into a thriving green industry that boosts local incomes and holds strong growth potential.

According to statistics, Nanyang's Chinese rose cultivation area has remained stable at 155,000 mu (about 10,333 hectares), with 1.6 billion seedlings produced annually. The city supplies 80 percent of the domestic market and accounts for 70 percent of China's Chinese rose seedling exports, with products sold to more than 20 countries and regions.

It has become China's largest Chinese rose seedling breeding and supply base. In 2025, the city's Chinese rose industry generated more than 4 billion yuan (about $589 million) in total output value.

On a summer morning, the 10,000-mu Chinese rose plantation in Shiqiao town, Wolong district, Nanyang, is already bustling with activity as more than 20 workers dig up sturdy bare-root Chinese rose seedlings. With well-developed roots and strong stems, the seedlings are quickly pruned, washed, sorted, and sent to a packing workshop for shipment.

"The two varieties are developed in cooperation with the Beijing Academy of Forestry and Landscape Architecture," said Xu Chunfeng, deputy general manager of the Nanyang Chinese Rose Base.

"Overseas customers especially favor these pink and white floribunda Chinese roses. This batch of 50,000 plants will be shipped to the Netherlands, and we must complete quarantine procedures and loading today before noon."

Unlike fresh-cut flowers, Nanyang's Chinese rose exports mainly consist of seedlings and rootstocks. Benefiting from the region's unique climate, abundant sunlight, and organic-rich soil, Nanyang Chinese roses have strong root systems and excellent resilience, giving them a prominent position in the global Chinese rose seedling market.

Photo shows blooming Chinese roses in a park in Nanyang, central China's Henan Province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Yuxing)

Established in 1983, the Nanyang Chinese Rose Base specializes in Chinese rose seedling production and integrates research, cultivation, and sales. It now covers more than 5,000 mu, grows over 1,000 premium varieties, and is a leading enterprise in China's Chinese rose seedling research, breeding, and sales.

The base began exporting Chinese roses in 1998. It was among the first in the industry to connect with international partners via the internet, attracting flower and Chinese rose experts from around the world to China.

In 2001, it completed its first export order to Japan. In 2002, it exported Chinese roses to Germany, and an original order for 200,000 plants was expanded to 1.2 million due to the seedlings' outstanding quality. For more than a decade afterward, annual exports to Germany exceeded 5 million plants.

In May 2025, the base expanded its global cooperation by signing an agreement with French rose company MEILLAND International to establish a joint production base in Nanyang for optimizing and breeding new varieties.

In Liaohe town, Wolong district, a greenhouse at a Chinese rose plantation houses a livestreaming studio. Qiao Deshuan steps in front of the camera and begins selling products online. In just two hours, he sells more than 2,000 orders, generating over 100,000 yuan in sales.

Qiao heads a horticulture company whose Chinese rose variety, "Lollipop," has performed exceptionally well in the market in recent years. "We focus on home gardening, and 'Lollipop' is particularly well suited for family gardens," Qiao said.

Earlier this year, the company developed a cold-resistant variety for the Spring Festival flower market. "It blooms beautifully even in winter and is popular not only in China but also in cold regions overseas," Qiao said.

In 2025, the company earned more than $3 million in export revenue, shipping products to Vietnam, the Netherlands, Kyrgyzstan, Canada, and other countries. Exports accounted for about 35 percent of total sales, with all orders coming through e-commerce platforms.

Nanyang Chinese roses not only bloom around the world but also bring prosperity to 150,000 local residents. In major Chinese rose producing areas, farming households earn more than 10,000 yuan per mu annually from Chinese rose cultivation.