The Peony: A love-hate relationship in ancient China

During the Dutch tulipomania in the early 1600s, just before the flower market crash, the bulb of an unusual variety of tulip was sold for the cost of a mansion. What made it so valuable was its streaked crimson white pattern, which it was later discovered was caused by a virus.

The unhappy ending of the obsession with an abnormality, even a beautiful one, was predicted several hundred years earlier in an essay ‘Account of the Tree Peonies of Luoyang’ by a major literary figure of the Northern Song, Ouyang Xiu (欧阳修, 1007-1072). The danger Ouyang was warning against was peonies. What was wrong with the flower? Read on to find out! 

By Ilina Tatiana (edited by Nic Doering)

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