How to Buy and Export Yunnan Flowers
With its generous sunshine and abundant rainfall, southwest China’s Yunnan Province is endowed with rich varieties of precious flowers and plants, being home to more than 2,100 decorative plants, among which at least 1,500 are flowering plants. Camellia, magnolia, lily, azalea, fairy primrose, orchid, herba meconopsis, and radix gentianae are eight of the best-known flowers in Yunnan.
On Oct. 11 this year, the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) is scheduled to take place in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan. To better display the beauty of the flowers, People’s Daily Online would like to introduce you to the eight best-known flowers of Yunnan.
Magnolia is an ancient flowering plant species. Chinese people started to plant magnolia as early as the Spring and Autumn Period (1,100 BCE – 476 BCE). There are 120 magnolia varieties across China and more than 35 of them are endemic to Yunnan. Magnolia has been widely cultivated in gardens in the province for its beautiful flowers.
One of the most famous fresh flower markets in Kunming is the Dounan Flower Market (斗南花市). Located in the Chenggong District of Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, the Dounan Flower Market is one of the largest wholesale flower markets in Asia and is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and extensive selection of fresh flowers.
Buying and exporting Yunnan flowers from the Dounan Flower Market involves several steps to ensure a successful transaction. Here’s a detailed guide:
- Visit the Dounan Flower Market: Located in Kunming, Yunnan Province, the Dounan Flower Market is one of the largest wholesale flower markets in Asia. Visit the market to explore the variety of flowers available and establish contacts with suppliers.
- Identify Reliable Suppliers: Walk around the market to identify reliable flower suppliers. Look for vendors with a wide selection of fresh flowers, good quality blooms, and a reputation for reliability.
- Negotiate Prices and Terms: Engage with suppliers to negotiate prices, quantities, and terms of purchase. Be prepared to negotiate based on factors such as volume, quality, and shipping arrangements. It’s common practice to haggle over prices in Chinese markets, so don’t hesitate to negotiate for the best deal.
- Inspect the Flowers: Before making a purchase, inspect the quality and freshness of the flowers. Choose blooms that are free from damage, discoloration, or signs of wilting. Ensure that the flowers meet the quality standards required for export.
- Discuss Export Arrangements: Discuss export arrangements with the suppliers, including packaging, transportation, and logistics. Ensure that the flowers will be properly packaged and handled to preserve their freshness during transit.
- Arrange Transportation: Coordinate transportation for exporting the flowers from Kunming to your destination. Depending on the volume and destination, you may choose air freight, sea freight, or land transportation. Work with logistics companies or freight forwarders to arrange the most cost-effective and efficient shipping method.
- Comply with Export Regulations: Familiarize yourself with export regulations and requirements for exporting flowers from China. This may include obtaining phytosanitary certificates, permits, and complying with import regulations and quarantine measures in the destination country.
- Prepare Export Documentation: Ensure that all necessary export documentation is prepared, including invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and phytosanitary certificates. Complete the documentation accurately and in compliance with export regulations.
- Quality Control and Packaging: Before shipment, conduct a final quality control check to ensure that the flowers meet the required standards. Ensure that the flowers are properly packaged using appropriate materials to protect them during transit.
- Track Shipment and Monitor Delivery: Track the shipment of the flowers to monitor its progress and ensure timely delivery. Stay in communication with the logistics provider to address any issues or delays that may arise during transit.
- Market and Sell: Once the flowers arrive at their destination, market and sell them to customers, florists, wholesalers, or retailers. Establish distribution channels and promote your Yunnan flowers through online platforms, trade shows, or local florist networks.
By following these steps and working closely with suppliers and logistics partners, you can successfully buy and export Yunnan flowers from the Dounan Flower Market, tapping into the region’s rich floral diversity and quality blooms for international markets.
Buying and exporting Yunnan flowers from the Dounan Flower Market involves several steps to ensure a successful transaction. Here’s a detailed guide:
- Visit the Dounan Flower Market: Located in Kunming, Yunnan Province, the Dounan Flower Market is one of the largest wholesale flower markets in Asia. Visit the market to explore the variety of flowers available and establish contacts with suppliers.
- Identify Reliable Suppliers: Walk around the market to identify reliable flower suppliers. Look for vendors with a wide selection of fresh flowers, good quality blooms, and a reputation for reliability.
- Negotiate Prices and Terms: Engage with suppliers to negotiate prices, quantities, and terms of purchase. Be prepared to negotiate based on factors such as volume, quality, and shipping arrangements. It’s common practice to haggle over prices in Chinese markets, so don’t hesitate to negotiate for the best deal.
- Inspect the Flowers: Before making a purchase, inspect the quality and freshness of the flowers. Choose blooms that are free from damage, discoloration, or signs of wilting. Ensure that the flowers meet the quality standards required for export.
- Discuss Export Arrangements: Discuss export arrangements with the suppliers, including packaging, transportation, and logistics. Ensure that the flowers will be properly packaged and handled to preserve their freshness during transit.
- Arrange Transportation: Coordinate transportation for exporting the flowers from Kunming to your destination. Depending on the volume and destination, you may choose air freight, sea freight, or land transportation. Work with logistics companies or freight forwarders to arrange the most cost-effective and efficient shipping method.
- Comply with Export Regulations: Familiarize yourself with export regulations and requirements for exporting flowers from China. This may include obtaining phytosanitary certificates, permits, and complying with import regulations and quarantine measures in the destination country.
- Prepare Export Documentation: Ensure that all necessary export documentation is prepared, including invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, and phytosanitary certificates. Complete the documentation accurately and in compliance with export regulations.
- Quality Control and Packaging: Before shipment, conduct a final quality control check to ensure that the flowers meet the required standards. Ensure that the flowers are properly packaged using appropriate materials to protect them during transit.
- Track Shipment and Monitor Delivery: Track the shipment of the flowers to monitor its progress and ensure timely delivery. Stay in communication with the logistics provider to address any issues or delays that may arise during transit.
- Market and Sell: Once the flowers arrive at their destination, market and sell them to customers, florists, wholesalers, or retailers. Establish distribution channels and promote your Yunnan flowers through online platforms, trade shows, or local florist networks.
By following these steps and working closely with suppliers and logistics partners, you can successfully buy and export Yunnan flowers from the Dounan Flower Market, tapping into the region’s rich floral diversity and quality blooms for international markets.
As a flower lover, I have always wanted to travel to a place where I could be exposed to a wider variety of flowers. I happened to see the introduction of Yunnan flowers by this travel agency, so I signed up for their tour group and come to Yunnan. The most impressive part of the tour route is that we went to a flower market called Dounan. It is said that this is the largest flower market in Asia, but you don’t even need to buy a ticket to get in. I really saw countless kinds of flowers here! These flowers are not only very fresh, but also cheap, I bought some as props for my photo shoot and it worked great! In addition, we also went to some other flower and bird markets, although the scale is not large but each has its own characteristics, they also worth visiting. In short, It’s a place where you can really see a lot of flowers all the time, even on the roadside. If you also like flowers, then I recommend you come.
Before we set out for Yunnan, I was told that it’s a city of flowers. But I didn’t take it seriously. The moment we got there I knew I was so wrong.
All kinds of flowers, so many of them were glimmering under the sunshine and the azure sky, brighter than the clouds. What astonished me most was their prices. It’s much lower than that of any other cities I’ve been. I wonder why didn’t the local flower farmers export or sell to other provinces.
They told me there were two major problems: transport fee and cold storage technology. I have been thought over it for days and figured out a few methods.
First of all, more invest are needed in brand image building and advertising. While customers notice the variety and high-quality of Yunnan flowers, more attention from all walk of life will be put on the obstacles lying between Yunnan flowers and the customers. Second, the local government and companies can work together to build a export system that can function effectively.
Interview Test – Article Translation and Summary by Zheming Zhang
“As an international student, this is my first time to saw an article that introduced Yunnan’s local flowers. I was surprised by this local flower’s biological diversity, there are more than 2,100 decorative plants and there are 8 most famous species of flowers. I want to know if are they exclusively grown in Yunnan. can they be used for hybrid breeding with other flowers which are in the same biological brand? can they be imported to foreign territories for further planting and breeding? My second thought is COP15, I am not a biologist but what is the main theme or the goal of this expo, will it demonstrate biological diversity？ I am afraid I cannot get full info or details of what I want just from an online article. My last thought is about Magnolia. I know this species has lots of diversity, but what makes it so special? due to its huge number of consumers or market scale? if these varieties are grown in an artificial environment, then will they lose their uniqueness?
I am so surprised that the flowers are so fresh and cheap when I get in Dognap market. In fact, you do not need buy a ticket to get in the market actually. It is a kingdom of flowers. You can buy even any flowers you want. And flowers sales are so kind that you do not need worried that you are cheated. Because the flowers are cheap. I bought many kinds of flowers and I will come again soon.
When I went to Yunnan for tourism, I noticed that almost all the scenic spots plant rich plant species in their scenic area. And I particularly like those blooming flowers. As mentioned in the article, many different types of flowers bloom on the land of Yunnan. I particularly like magnolia. That’s because magnolia helds a beautiful form and its vitality is very tenacious. In my opinion, fresh flowers can be considered a distinctive feature of Yunnan, and the flower industry should be supported and developed greatly. Cop15 is a very excellent attempt. I believe this will further develop the flower industry in Yunnan and drive the economic takeoff of Yunnan.
It’s amazing to see,how a never-known-before city somewhere south in China suddenly becoming a fulgurant spotlight in the world,as the center where COP15 is taking place at.as a fellow flower lover I would personally LOVE to see the great varieties of flowers in Kunming.I believe it’ll be such a pleasant little adventure for me to explore new scenes and ever mysterious eastern culture with tons of gorgeously attracting and decorative flowers along the
way.anyways,congratulations on successfully holding the major event of biological diversity,Im thrilled be there for it! for my humble opinion about the flower market in Kunming. I think first,branching out to south-eastern Asia market will be the most practical and profitable way,what’s most important about this is,it doest cost as much,with the geographical locations being this much close to each other,the flower transportation fees will be greatly decreased comapred to shipping the flowers overseas,especially considering fresh flowers are often transported by air which greatly increase the cost.therefore branching out to the south-eastern Asia market is the best choice for these flowers to be sold safely and at the same time guaranteeing the profit.once you’ve gathered enough profit in this region,branch out further! I see a bright future in this!