Launching orchid conservation actions: refusing indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting brooks no delay
Let us first look at a real case in which someone was sentenced for digging up orchids:
In April 2016, a villager surnamed Qin in Lushi County, Sanmenxia, Henan, picked three "wild grasses" similar to orchid grass on his way home and was caught by local forest police. After identification, what Qin had dug was the nationally key protected plant Cymbidium faberi (Huilan). Later, in December 2016, Qin was sentenced to 3 years in prison with a 3-year suspended sentence and a fine of 3000 yuan for the crime of illegally logging a nationally key protected plant. This matter once sparked heated discussion. "I wanted to dig them up and plant them at home; when they bloom they can have a bit of fragrance. I did not know it was illegal." On May 10, 2018, Qin filed an appeal with the Lushi County Court, requesting that the court retry the case and acquit him. On May 23, the Lushi County Court issued a decision on retrial, stating that upon review, the original judgment had errors in fact-finding and errors in the application of law, and decided that the court would form another collegial panel for retrial, while during the retrial the execution of the original judgment would not be suspended! No matter what the final outcome of this case is, it shows how precious orchids are and that they cannot withstand our reckless digging. Protection always has its reasons, so I will not worry needlessly here!
Chinese orchids are known for their seclusion and elegance. Their leaf forms are graceful, their flower postures refined, their subtle fragrance overflowing, and their beauty fresh and free from vulgarity. They have long had the reputation of "gentleman among flowers" and "king's fragrance," and have extremely high ornamental, medicinal, and scientific value. They are an important part of China's flower industry and medicinal herb industry. Although they are widely and extensively cultivated in China, wild orchid resources are on the verge of extinction. On the one hand this is related to the environment, and on the other hand it is caused by indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting. Therefore, protecting orchids and refusing indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting brooks no delay!
In recent years, the rapid development of the internet and the rapid development of the express delivery industry have suddenly broken down barriers of time and space. Orchids have also broken through the limits of information dissemination channels and regions, becoming known to the broad masses of the people. In addition, the rise of e-commerce has provided people with shopping convenience. At this time, orchids, as ornamental flowers and plants, have been liked by more and more people and are frequently traded on the internet. This has provided a good opportunity for the massive digging of orchids in recent years. There has never been anything as crazy as now in the past; everything is driven by huge profits!
At present, orchids on the market, whether high-priced or low-priced, are in short supply. Take Cymbidium faberi (Huilan) for example: before the orchid diggers have even come down from the mountain, orchid dealers are already waiting at the foot of the mountain. I am not exaggerating; this really happens in reality. Some of these people are professional grass diggers. They only pick good orchids to dig, and ordinary orchids do not catch their eye. From their hands, cheap ones cost several hundred per plant, while higher ones cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands per plant. With a bit of luck, they can dig up several hundred thousand in a year, and ordinary ones can still dig up tens of thousands, much better than farming in rural areas. They search on the mountains all year round, starting early and working late, and have felt over almost every hilltop within a radius of several hundred kilometers and every plant. They have developed a pair of sharp eyes and can quickly identify whether an orchid is good or bad from several meters away. They are truly formidable!
Ordinary wild orchids sell at very low prices, are easy to dig, and have low costs. Most buyers do not understand orchids and only know that orchids are very fragrant, very expensive, and hard to grow. Everyone is used to choosing low-priced wild orchids. This provides lawless people with a way to get rich. The sales volume of wild orchids is climbing steadily on major e-commerce platforms, and artificially cultivated orchids are no match for them at all. These had data that could be checked in the early days. Fortunately, some e-commerce platforms paid attention. Now sensitive keywords such as wild orchids and down-mountain orchids have all been blocked. Even the keyword Huilan, which is currently the hottest and most severely dug, has been heavily demoted in weight, and most have also been blocked and are no longer indexed. Those interested can go and check!
This kind of digger who sells ordinary orchids is really too crazy and has reached the point of lawlessness. Take Dahong Mountain in Hubei, one of the main producing areas of Chinese Cymbidium faberi (Huilan), as an example. Here, more than ten or even dozens of people drive three-wheeled motorcycles every day, bring sacks, and search in carpet fashion, digging whenever they see an orchid, one hilltop after another, leaving none even for future generations. After returning, they sell them online by weight, 5 mao per jin, regardless of quality, and after-sales service is even quite thorough: if it dies within a month, they will send a free replacement. This is also the widely circulated "5 mao party" online from before. They have been digging in the local area for quite a few years, also during these years of the rapid rise of the internet and express delivery. While resources are being severely depleted, it has also made some people suddenly rich, and then people around them become envious and find ways to imitate their business model, forming a vicious cycle. Because of continuous massive digging, many hilltops here have been dug empty. In recent years, prices have also kept climbing, from the previous 5 mao per jin to the current tens of yuan per jin. Fortunately, sales channels on large e-commerce platforms are now blocked. I believe they will gradually decline or move to other channels. It is precisely these people who have severely damaged local orchid resources and also attracted the attention of relevant departments. Forest police are also much stricter than before, and they severely punish whenever they find something. It is both disaster and blessing. I hope the phenomenon of indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting of wild orchids will gradually be curbed, and the artificially cultivated orchid industry is about to welcome the spring of development!
Chinese orchids have been endowed by history with their unique cultural connotations, and in May 1985 orchids were rated as one of China's top ten famous flowers. Chinese people have always regarded orchids as a symbol of nobility and elegance, and they are listed together with "plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemum," collectively known as the "Four Gentlemen." We usually use "orchid writing" to describe the beauty of poetry and prose, use "orchid friendship" to describe the truth of friendship, and also use orchids to express pure love. It is a kind of spirit, a kind of art, a kind of feeling and realm, and a culture rooted in the long history of the Chinese nation. Its character and style have become a symbol of the ideal personality of the Chinese people. All those who appreciate orchids, plant orchids, love orchids, and praise orchids draw moral strength from orchids, thereby consciously shaping and improving their own character and breadth of mind, cultivating their sentiments, and enriching their spiritual world.
Orchid culture has nurtured, supported, and driven generation after generation of people to love orchids and grow orchids. Moreover, in the process of planting orchids, cultivating orchids, tasting orchids, writing about orchids, painting orchids, and developing, selecting, and breeding new and fine orchid varieties, people inherit, broaden, and develop orchid culture. Here, I call on everyone to protect wild orchid resources, refuse indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting, and report incidents of indiscriminate digging and over-harvesting to the local forest police. Starting with myself, it is imperative and brooks no delay. Those who dig indiscriminately and over-harvest, do not complain about me either. This is the inevitable course of historical development. I want to believe that you can also do it. You are not bad by nature, only dizzy with profit. We should focus on the big picture, calm down and carry out artificial cultivation, and embrace the spring of orchids together!
Today I suddenly saw a orchid friend leave me a message asking me to write an article about preventing orchid digging. Yesterday I also happened to see on Moments an article forwarded by Rao Chunrong, chairman of the Chinese orchid listed company Liancheng Orchid, from the China Wild Plant Conservation Association titled "Protect Wild Orchids, Refuse Indiscriminate Digging and Over-Harvesting." I also felt it was time to write this kind of article and make a modest contribution to Chinese orchids, so I wrote it on a sudden impulse. It was not prepared sufficiently, and I hope everyone understands! Author: Mei Fei, founder of the Orchid Bar forum, secretary of the Orchid Association of Jingshan City, Hubei Province, and an internet celebrity in the orchid industry on major self-media platforms! I publish orchid knowledge and pictures every day, taking you to understand orchids in depth and teaching you to grow orchids easily. If there is anything you do not understand about orchids, you can ask me at any time or leave a message below. If you like it, you can follow me or bookmark and forward it to help others!