The Lunar New Year is approaching fast, and that means Taiwanese families are looking to buy fresh flowers to welcome in an auspicious new year. Itamar Waksman reports.
As Taiwan prepares for the Lunar New Year, throngs of visitors are making their way to Taipei’s Jianguo Flower Market. Here you can fulfill all your floral needs, from lilies and tulips, to fruit trees and ferns.
One woman says she loves snow willows because they slowly open their small white flowers, becoming lush.
Visitors at this time of the year are especially picky as they try to decorate their homes.
The woman says she also loves buying Fu Gui chrysanthemums because they can be kept for a long time. Fu Gui also means wealth and prestige in Chinese, and she says buying them symbolizes bringing those things to her family.
Another shopper says peonies are always a good choice because they create a cheerful atmosphere.
In Taiwan, people like to buy flowers with auspicious symbolism during the Lunar New Year holiday. That includes “gold throated” chrysanthemums and the “one hundred unions” flower that symbolizes long, happy relationships. But these frenzied flower flows are forcing prices up.
Market Chairperson Li Ming-tsong (李明璁) says while larger flowers are in general more expensive than smaller ones, all have gotten pricier.
Li says prices have almost doubled compared to last year because wages and transportation costs have both risen.
Vendors say the five days preceding the Lunar New Year are their busiest time, so if you want to secure your own special bouquet, you may have to get in early.