卷二?牡丹

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牡丹花色艷麗，形象高雅，象征著和平與繁榮，因而在中國被稱為“花中之王”。中國許多地方都培育和種植牡丹。千百年來，創(chuàng)造了許多詩歌和繪畫贊美牡丹。唐代時期，牡丹在皇家園林普遍種植并被譽為國花，因而特別風行。十世紀時，洛陽古城成為牡丹栽培中心，而且這一地位一直保持到今天?，F(xiàn)在，成千上萬的國內游客蜂擁到洛陽參加一年一度的牡丹節(jié)，欣賞洛陽牡丹的獨特之美，同時探索九朝古都的歷史。

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Peony flowers are colourful and elegant, symbolizing peace and prosperity; so they are called ‘the king of flowers’ in China. For thousands of years, a large number of poems and paintings have been created in praise of it. During the Tang dynasty, peonies were widely planted in the royal gardens and it was praised as the national flower. Therefore, it was particularly popular. By the 10th century, the ancient city of Luoyang had become the center of peony cultivation and this status remains to this day. Nowadays, thousands of visitors flock to Luoyang to attend the annual Peony Festival where they can admire the unique beauty of peonies and explore the history of the ancient capital of the nine dynasties.