Why Is the Zhoushan Orchid Show So Sluggish? An Analysis of the Reasons Behind It

Author: Wang Xiaodong

 

I have lost count of how many orchid shows have been held in Zhoushan by now. But one thing is certain: this spring orchid exhibition was the most "unsuccessful" orchid show held in Zhoushan to date.

At around 2 p.m. on the 16th of this month, driven by the rain, more than 30 participating orchid enthusiasts had to pack up early the over 60 pots of fine Zhoushan orchid varieties on the display tables that had once been labeled "sky-high prices." Two pots were sold on the first day, bringing in 1,000 yuan; the second day was slightly better. Over the three-day orchid show, total orchid sales amounted to just over 10,000 yuan. "This is the worst transaction volume of any Zhoushan orchid show. Each pot of orchids was priced from a few dozen yuan to about one hundred yuan; very few sold for several hundred yuan per pot. A transaction volume of just over 10,000 yuan is not even as much as selling a single orchid seedling back then," lamented Wang Zefu, one of the organizers of this orchid show and a veteran orchid grower in Zhoushan.

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In a courtyard in Dinghai Park, tables covered with purplish-red velvet tablecloths were set up in the center, with pots of Zhoushan orchids placed on them. Small flowers of various shapes were in bloom, and a faint, delicate fragrance filled the air. What struck this reporter, who has attended many orchid shows, as different was that this orchid show was rather "sluggish" in both popularity and transactions.

Like orchids across the country, Zhoushan orchids went through a process of prices soaring and then plummeting. From 2006 to 2007, Chinese orchid prices reached insane levels. At orchid shows in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, a "sky-high price" of 5 million yuan per seedling was recorded. After that, orchid prices plummeted all the way down.

Regarding this phenomenon, some orchid enthusiasts at the show expressed sharply contrasting views.

Mr. Li, who emigrated to Canada 10 years ago, happened to be in Zhoushan during this Spring Festival. Hearing that Zhoushan was holding an orchid show, he carried his photography equipment to the site to take photos. He told the reporter that Canada, the United States, and other places also have orchid shows, featuring both exotic orchids and Chinese orchids, but the on-site displays are very attractive. The orchids are set off by other colorful composite flowers, making them look very beautiful, and there are many visitors - unlike our orchid show, which is "plainly dressed" and looks rather monotonous.

On this point, a person from the organizers held a different view. In his opinion, orchids are noble. In ancient times, they were played with by Chinese scholar-officials; ordinary people could not afford them. In other words, orchids are not a flower for the masses but can only be enjoyed by a niche group of enthusiasts.

Another orchid enthusiast believed that exotic orchids look more gaudy and that foreigners mostly watch for the excitement. Most foreign orchid shows focus mainly on appreciation, and generally feature low-value varieties. We look at value - how much this pot costs, how much that pot costs, clear as day. If orchids lose their value, they become meaningless. If they were the same as herbaceous flowers, there would be no need to hold an orchid show at all. "Of course, having both economic value and ornamental value would be best," this orchid enthusiast added.

A citizen surnamed Xu at the orchid show said that it is normal for orchid prices to return from madness to rationality. Take the clivia (Clivia miniata) for example - it is indeed quite beautiful, but it is still just a flower. At the time, my monthly salary was only just over 40 yuan, and a single clivia plant sold for over 3,000 yuan. Just hearing that made my head spin - at the time, that could have bought several houses. After the clivia bubble burst, it is now worth just the value of a potted flower. "After all, most citizens who come to visit are not orchid experts. We place too much importance on the economic value of orchids. Actually, whether it is orchids or other flowers, aesthetics is the highest realm." In Mr. Li's view, loving orchids from the heart is the purest thing. One should not measure them too much by economic value, otherwise their original meaning is lost.

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Zhoushan orchids have elegant leaf shapes and a floating, delicate fragrance. Zhoushan orchids are full of legendary stories.

Mr. Fang Ping, a Zhoushan orchid enthusiast who once worked at a municipal government office, created China's first orchid-themed novel, "Qi Hua" (Rare Flower), based on folk tales related to Zhoushan orchids. For a time, Zhoushan orchids became even more famous far and wide.

At the orchid show, Yu Hongda, a 36-year-old known as the "Qiandao Orchid Fanatic" who has loved orchids since childhood, was very busy, constantly answering phone calls from online customers buying orchids. In Zhoushan, he holds the most fine Zhoushan orchid varieties - at least several dozen varieties. Among them, "Shenzhou Qidie" (China's Rare Butterfly) sold for a sky-high price of 800,000 yuan per seedling at the 2007 Yunnan Orchid Show. "Now, the same orchid costs only about 500 yuan per pot. Many people used to play with orchids as an investment. Now, some still fantasize that orchid prices will go back up - that is impossible," Yu Hongda said with certainty. "As Zhoushan people say, the orchid's day has passed." At the orchid show, 68-year-old orchid enthusiast Lü Jianjun sighed likewise: selling orchids used to be like selling gold bars; now it has returned to being orchid grass. Lü Jianjun has grown orchids for over 30 years, and quite a few famous Zhoushan orchid varieties were discovered and named by him.

In the past, from mid-to-late October each year until the Qingming Festival the following year, he and other orchid enthusiasts would, as long as the weather allowed, gear up fully, carry backpacks with a day's worth of dry rations and fruit, and head up the mountains early in the morning to dig for orchids.

In Lü Jianjun's memory, the orchid market was best from 2006 to 2007. At that time, the most people went up the mountains - locals and outsiders alike. You just had to shout on the mountain and someone would answer. Starting in 2008, fewer people went up the mountains to dig for orchids. One reason was that good orchid varieties were already hard to find, and another was that orchid prices began to plunge sharply and they were no longer worth much. Now, no one goes up the mountains at all. "At orchid shows back then, many people would come up and ask. A single orchid seedling was often worth tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. Now an orchid worth tens of thousands per seedling can only sell for a few hundred, or even a few dozen yuan." Lü Jianjun gave examples: his "Da Yuanbao" (Big Ingot), which sold for 130,000 yuan per seedling when the market was best in 2006, now sells for 130 yuan per seedling; "Heimao" (Black Cat), which sold for 80,000 yuan per seedling back then, now sells for 80 yuan per seedling with few buyers. "In 2005, I bought orchids at 10,000 yuan per seedling, and the next year I could sell them for 100,000 yuan - the money was immediately visible." In Lü Jianjun's memory, around 2006, people came in an endless stream specifically to buy his orchids. For any that caught their eye, selling a seedling for tens of thousands of yuan was an easy matter, and he often only agreed to sell after the other party pleaded several times.

In the view of some perceptive people, the main reason orchids fell from sky-high prices back then to today's grassroots prices is excessive speculation at the time - a single orchid seedling cost more than a house, which many found unbelievable. Another important reason is that good orchid varieties were massively increased through tissue-culture sexual propagation. Good orchid varieties suddenly became abundant on the market; as quantity increased, prices naturally plunged. Technology completely overturned the traditional way orchids were operated.

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There are about 300 orchid enthusiasts across Zhoushan. Yu Hongda, whose hometown is Lincheng, is one of those who relatively clearly recognized that orchids would come to today's outcome. In Yu Hongda's view, the Zhoushan orchid industry never truly took shape in the past, and now there is even less possibility of it taking shape.

"Back then, Zhoushan orchids were also 'blooming inside the wall but fragrant outside' - Zhoushan indeed produced many good orchids, but the ones who made money were often outsiders. Now, in terms of timing, Zhoushan orchids cannot match the climate conditions of Guangdong and other places; in terms of location, Zhoushan has no large market radiation support; and in terms of people, Zhoushan's consumer base is limited."

Facing the rapidly changing orchid market, Yu Hongda quickly transformed. Currently, Yu Hongda sells orchids through online channels. Selling several hundred thousand yuan a year is no problem, but he no longer treats orchids as a career, calling himself merely a somewhat larger-scale orchid enthusiast in Zhoushan.

He contracted 14 mu of land on the south mountain at Dong'ao in Lincheng. Initially he planned to develop two orchid greenhouses, but starting last year he converted it into a comprehensive flower supermarket, with orchids being only one part of it. He introduced many kinds of flowers and bonsai, not only wholesaling and retailing but also offering flower rental and placement services.

Such a "sluggish" orchid market has left some orchid enthusiasts suffering. Wang Zefu, now over 70 years old, worries that if the orchid market continues like this, the enthusiasm may dissipate. Still, the old man's mindset is fairly good. He joked, "Although orchids can no longer become an industry, it's still better than growing napa cabbage."

A citizen visiting the orchid show posted this reflection that evening on WeChat Moments: The orchid show held at Dinghai Park during the Lantern Festival of the Year of the Horse had to end early in the drizzling rain. Although the bubble burst and things returned to rationality, the hidden fragrance of the orchids was still intoxicating. Interestingly, some people were still savoring the story of how much that orchid plant was worth back then, which brings to mind certain industries today.