Peony, Luoyang's civic flower as well as China's national flower, has been very famous for its varieties and the beautiful colors because of the moderate climate and soil in Luoyang which is suitable for peony to blossom extra-large flowers bearing the fame of 'the king of flowers'. Beautiful and fragrant, peony is a symbol of happiness and prosperity in China.

Peony cultivation in China goes back about 1,500 years. Luoyang residents have been enthusiastic peony lovers and cultivator since ancient times. According to history records, the cultivation of peonies first appeared in the city during the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and flourished during the Tang Dynasty. During the Northern Song Period (960-1127), the Luoyang variety earned the reputation of being the most beautiful peony in the country. In the past years, thanks to the improvement of technology of peony cultivation, the species of the flower in Luoyang have multiplied from the previous 100 to more than 1,000 today.

Since 1983, Luoyang has held the annual Peony Fair, which includes lantern shows and other forms of entertainment, between April 10 and 20. The fair provides visitors from China and abroad a better opportunity to admire the flower, and originally became a regular international conference for Luoyang's attracting for merchants and investments.

Luoyang Peony Festival has been the proud, grand festival for the people in Luoyang. During which magnificent celebration, colorful lanterns festival, and efficient economy and trade negotiation with propitious and happy festival atmosphere were conducted to deeply impress the guests from all over the world.