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Chinese believe in flower power for good beginning

Jacky Wong

Economic recovery does not mean sales of seasonal blossoms for the Lunar New Year will increase, according to the chairman of the Hong Kong Flower Retailers Association.

'Chinese New Year has become like normal days or is used as a short break for people to recharge their batteries,' Elizabeth Tse Wong Siu-yin said.

'Only those staying in Hong Kong will probably buy bunches of flowers to celebrate the festival,' she added. Mrs Tse, who is in charge of the Clover Flower Shop in Central, said economic recovery would not push up prices of seasonal blossoms unless there was bad weather.

'In general, prices and sales volume of seasonal blossoms have remained stable in recent years.

'Prices tend to depend on size, type and origin. For example, prices of peach blossoms can range from $100 to thousands of dollars depending on the size.' Orchid, lisianthni, gladiolus, chrysanthemum, dahlia and gypsophila are popular seasonal blossoms and new offerings such as forsythia, cymbidium orchid, Wealth bamboo, phalaneopsis are young people's favourites, according to Mrs Tse.

Choice of flowers People living in big homes or businessmen liked placing peach blossoms (taohua ) accompanied with a few pussy willows, hoping for good prospects and romance in the new year, she said.

'A number of Western people who have lived in Hong Kong for a few years or have put down roots like to follow the Chinese tradition of placing seasonal blooms in their homes.' Mrs Tse believed the tradition would not die out as people would continue to buy new blossoms to broaden their choice of flowers during this most important of Chinese festivals.

'The Chinese want a good start to the New Year, so they like buying seasonal blossoms,' she said.

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