-What I didn’t know about flowers until now
By Francis Pelenah, Jr. in Beijing,nahba2006@yahoo.ie)
When I got the invitation from the China Public Diplomacy Association of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I wondered how life would pan out here some thousands of miles away from Liberia. I asked questions and browsed the internet for information about life in mainland China.
A lot came up; some with an element of discouragement, but sometimes you don’t get the actual account until you see and feel for yourself. So I prepared and set off. Any fear of hangover following a 21-hour flight was immediately relieved when, upon arrival, I was greeted and presented with a gigantic and well-fragrant bouquet of flowers.
This gesture from my Host (China International Press and Communication Center), was not only a warm welcome, but also a demonstration of love and acceptance.
Now after nearly six months in China, I have realized that the beautiful flowers we (foreigners) see around us in China are more than what we interpret them to be.
I am told the Chinese people have for long held the custom of viewing flowers since ancient times. “Flowers are beautiful things. We appreciate the sensory tasting of flowers and scent as well as the meaning of flowers” my Chinese Language Teacher at the Beijing International Chinese College, Tan Pan once said.
Now, I see that the aesthetics and meaning of these flowers are the key drivers that bring people together and unite them as one family. Every day I see municipal workers and gardeners designing, planting and watering flowers.
When I first noticed the kind of efforts they put into growing and taking care of flowers in China, I wondered how it could be as I compare this to my country Liberia where our priorities are different. I would rather spend my resources on food and basic necessities other than flowers. Public spaces are often given stunning flowery decorations, thereby attracting both locals and foreigners including myself.
For example during the 2019 Beijing Expo, I nearly missed my team’s bus because I was busy taking pictures and selfies among flower landscape designs I had never seen in my life. This has made me to reflect about other things that are important to life but often ignored or overlooked. Flowers bring happiness and happiness as you know is a key human development tool.
While in China, I have seen couples, families, tourists and others make use of these magnificent scenic views to have a conversation about things that matter. I too have found these views relaxing during my free time, especially when I am at public parks in Beijing. Sometimes I imagine if these flowers were in my yard back home in Liberia or on the major streets of my Capital City, Monrovia.
Growing up in my home Town of Grandcess in Grand Kru County Liberia, my father’s love for flowers made many of us (his children) follow his footsteps. My father (late Francis D.N. Pelenah, Sr.) had some beautiful flowers similar to the pink Yueji (Chinese rose) of Beijing edged near his room window. For this reason, we always look out for that particular flower or something similar.
We are in summer in China and I have attended a couple of graduation ceremonies in Beijing. Interestingly, the culture of graduation here is very different to what I am used to back home in Liberia. Here, people spend a lot of money buying expensive roses to present to loved ones, relatives and friends.
I attended my Chinese friend’s graduation ceremony recently at the University of International Business and Economics and as a sign of appreciation for the achievement; I presented to her an envelope of money. But surprisingly she was disappointed. She had expected a flower which has a connection of greater bond, love and unity than an envelope of money.
Her reaction surprised me because during event like this, the envelope is sometimes what matters most back home. However after this particular incident, I was fully convinced of the importance and significance of flowers here in china. Well, perhaps now you know too! So grow flowers, appreciate their meaning and live a green life.
Note: Francis Pelenah is a 2019 Journalism Fellow with the China International Press and Communications Center. In addition to reporting about China, Francis is doing a one year graduate program in Communications and Public Diplomacy at the Renmin University of China (RUC) and also studies Chinese Language HSK level one at the Beijing International Chinese College. This article is also captured under the ‘Living In China’ Column in the August edition of the ChinaAfrica Magazine.