A Practical Guide to the Appreciation and Exploration of Chinese Cold Orchids

In the large family of Chinese orchids, the cold orchid (Cymbidium kanran) is the strain that was systematically developed latest as an ornamental variety. To explore the appreciation theory of Chinese cold orchids, one must understand when China began to enjoy cold orchids as ornamental plants. Although Professor Liu Qingyong also cites "Chen Mengliang" in the Jinzhang Lanpu (Golden Zhang Orchid Manual) as a suspected cold orchid, judging from the passage "the flower head is extremely large, the crown of all flowers," this is not a characteristic of the cold orchid, and further verification is needed.

　　

I. The Term "Cold Orchid" Originated in Japan

Professor Chen Xinqi proposed that the term "cold orchid" comes from Japan. According to relevant records, as early as 1905 Japan published the name (C. kanran) cold orchid (pronounced "kanran") in Japanese orchid books. The term "cold orchid" appeared in Chinese orchid manuals in 1930, when the Commercial Press published "Methods of Growing Orchids" (Zhong Lan Fa), authored by Xia Yibin. This book was the first Chinese orchid book to adopt scientific classification, and also the first to use the term "cold orchid." Its original record of the cold orchid states: "The cold orchid (C. kanran) is produced in the warm regions of our country and Japan, and is especially abundant in the southern parts of Shikoku and Kyushu... Those with light yellow-green color are called green cold orchids, those with purple-red color are purple cold orchids, and those with deep red slightly tinged with purple are red cold orchids." From the book we are conveyed two pieces of information: first, the author could not specifically list the production areas of the cold orchid in China, while the Japanese production areas were very detailed and specific, clearly stating that Japanese cold orchids are produced in Kyushu and Shikoku; second, the Japanese pronunciation of cold orchid, "kanran," matches (C. kanran), whereas according to Chinese pronunciation the cold orchid should be (C. hanran). From this we can infer that the author directly quoted the Japanese orchid book's definition of the cold orchid, and that the term "cold orchid" originating in Japan is credible. Japan also preceded our country in the large-scale cultivation and appreciation of cold orchids. In Ishii Yuyoshi's 1935 "Color Atlas of Oriental Orchids," the cold orchid was included with color photographs; in 1937, Obara Eijiro's "Orchid Flower Manual" (Lan Hua Pu) shows cold orchids at orchid exhibitions, with more than a dozen varieties included. It is evident that cold orchid appreciation was already very popular in Japan at that time. In our country, however, because national orchid appreciation was influenced by petal-type theory, pursuing round, full flower forms, orchid books took the spring orchid (Cymbidium goeringii) and the cymbidium (Cymbidium faberi) as models. Even though Guangdong and Fujian mainly featured the locally produced ink orchid (Cymbidium sinense) and summer orchid, Yunnan mainly featured the lotus-petal orchid (Cymbidium tortisepalum), and Sichuan mainly featured the spring sword (Cymbidium tortisepalum var. longibracteatum), all guided variety selection and breeding by traditional petal-type theory, with appreciation theory centered on petal-type studies.

　　

Because the cold orchid has a long, narrow distribution range and slender flower form, it neither possesses the greatest resource advantage of orchid-growing regions nor satisfies the fashion defined by petal-type theory, so it could not enter the mainstream and was not valued. In Japan, however, because there are few species of native orchids, with only the unscented Japanese spring orchid and the scented cold orchid, the wild cold orchids growing in Kyushu and Shikoku are abundant. Influenced by Chinese orchid culture, Japan began appreciating orchids as early as more than 200 years ago. In 1773, the Japanese Matsuoka compiled an orchid book by order of the Emperor. In its early period, Japan's appreciation theory of national orchids was influenced by Chinese orchid culture on the one hand, and at the same time incorporated native culture, forming a unique Japanese orchid culture.

　　

Japanese orchid appreciation emphasizes posture and color, with petal shape and delicate fragrance secondary. Japanese cold orchid appreciation and evaluation take flower color, flower form, flower tongue, flower spacing and whorl count as evaluation points. Flower color should be bright and vivid, with inlay colors showing clear contrast; flower form requires individual flowers to bloom open and extended; the flower tongue should be round and large, with clean plain-colored moss or bright vivid spots, and a straight, non-crooked tongue is superior; flower spacing requires an open, airy arrangement with moderate, even internode distance; flowers should emerge above the leaves; whorl count is the requirement for flower number, with each stem bearing five or six flowers or more.

　　

In the 1920s and 1930s, Japan collected cold orchid varieties in our country's Oujiang area according to its own standards. Because Japanese orchid merchants purchased in large quantities, this had an enormous influence on the local appreciation of cold orchids, and to this day many domestic cold orchid enthusiasts still follow these standards. It can be said that Japan set China's cold orchids in motion, and this is precisely the result of Sino-Japanese orchid cultural exchange and interaction.

　　

II. The Current State of Cold Orchid Appreciation in China

During the Cultural Revolution, the development of Chinese national orchids came to a complete halt, gradually recovering only in the 1980s. It was not until the early 1990s that cold orchids received renewed attention. But Chinese enthusiasts always hoped to express cold orchid forms using traditional petal-type theory. When they discovered that cold orchids did not suit these standards, they settled for the next best thing, relaxing the petal-type standards and forcing cold orchids into the plum, lotus and narcissus categories. Even later, they simply proposed that cold orchids should not be judged by the outer three petals but only by the center, with hard hoods being plum and soft hoods being narcissus. Other enthusiasts, meanwhile, proposed that since cold orchids have slender flower forms and their own characteristics, the appreciation points should be the elegant, ethereal, refined beauty of cold orchids, as well as their lean, hard and upright character, and put forward the concept of formal-spiritual beauty. But these theories lacked detailed standards in practical application. Thus three schools of cold orchid appreciation formed in China. The first school follows Japanese appreciation standards, with most enthusiasts from Jiangsu and Zhejiang; the second school discusses petal-type studies, with most enthusiasts from Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou; the third school advocates the formal-spiritual beauty of cold orchids, mainly with Fujian enthusiasts. Each school and faction has its own views.

　　

III. Establishing a Cold Orchid Appreciation Theory in Keeping with Chinese Culture

Chinese orchid culture is broad and profound, influencing Japan and Korea. Chinese culture must not be absent from the promotion of national orchids, and spreading Chinese culture through national orchids as a medium is the mission and responsibility of those in the orchid world. Although the cold orchid was developed relatively late in our country, the establishment of a Chinese cold orchid appreciation theory must be rooted in the soil of Chinese orchid culture, seeking theoretical support therein. The classification of cold orchid horticultural varieties should conform to the customary names used by orchid lovers, be easy to express, and at the same time refine the standards so as to be convenient for determining grade and rank when circulating in the market.

　　

Based on the above views, I put forward my own view on cold orchid appreciation. All standards and terms in traditional Chinese appreciation theory that are applicable to cold orchids should be applied to cold orchid appreciation theory, while at the same time some supplements and refinements should be made according to the special traits of cold orchids, so that the characteristics of cold orchids can be fully reflected and expressed. In cold orchid appreciation, flower quality, flower character and flower staying power must still meet the requirements of traditional national orchid appreciation. A slender, long, upright stem, long pedicels, staggered and orderly arrangement of the flower nodes, several flowers per stem, and flowers emerging above the leaves constitute a good flower character; a single flower that is symmetrical and extended, with upright sepal, no reverse clipping, no stiffness and no twisted back constitutes good flower quality; and not dropping the shoulders, not lifting the main petal, not bowing the head, not splitting the pincers and not fading after more than ten days in bloom constitutes good flower staying power. As for the appreciation of cold orchid varieties, plain, butterfly, strange, colored and leaf-art varieties differ little from traditional appreciation theory and can be applied in combination, so they will not be repeated here.

　　

The classification of cold orchid petal types is the focal point in establishing cold orchid appreciation theory. Classifying according to the degree of stamenization of the pincers and the different degrees of width and narrowness of the outer petals, one can divide them into five categories by center form and five categories by outer petal form. For classification by center, one can still draw on the five-category naming of cymbidium flowers by the late Qing Dynasty Xiaoshan orchid master Shen Peilin. The first category is called "clever type" (qiao zhong), where "clever" means just right, exquisite and small, implying refinement and delicacy. Silkworm-moth pincers, Guanyin pincers and other stamenized pincers are all full of white sand, small and delicate, with a quality like jade and a delicate form; the word "clever" fits perfectly. Cold orchids whose center has a white head and deep hood may be called "clever type."