The growing and trading of peonies has become a pillar industry in western Shandong Province.

　　Zhao Dongsheng from the Mudan district of Heze, a region famous for peonies, is a farmer who has benefited from the growth of the industry.

　　"My black and green peonies are alw ays sold out before the start of winter, with the best plants going for 300 yuan (US$36)," the 53-year-old told China Daily yesterday.

　　Zhao has leased 4 hectares of land for peonies, which in the past three years have brought him more than 1.8 million yuan (US$217,658).

　　"In the future I will introduce better species and try to extend the flowering period so as to improve sales," he said .

　　In Heze there are around 40,000 people like Zhao taking part in the peony growing industry, including 15,800 professionals in 27 professional villages. Their plots vary from less than half-a-hectare to as much as 50 hectares, said Ding Zhigang, Head of Mudan District, Heze's major peony growing area.

　　"In China, peonies symbolize wealth and nobleness due to their large flowers. Many people regard the peony as the "king of flowers" and as China's national flower," said Zhao Xiaoqing, secretary of Heze Peony Association.

　　"We are always developing new peony species, such as the shortened peony for convenient transportation and the long-stemmed peony flowers for ikebana use, which are mainly flown to the Republic of Korea," said Zhao.

　　At the International Horticultural Exposition held in 1999 in Kunming in southwestern China, peonies from Heze won 81 of the 111 prizes established for the species.