[Video/chinadaily.com.cn]

Dario Famularo, a sinologist from Italy, highlighted the role peonies can play in fostering communication among different civilizations during an interview at the 2026 Heze Peony International Communication Forum in Heze, Shandong province on April 11. 

He said he believes people around the world can naturally appreciate flowers and experience the beauty of nature, and that this sense of aesthetics is shared by all humankind. 

Flowers can serve as a very good starting point for international communication and mutual understanding between civilizations, he said.

Peonies in China, he noted, represent not only prosperity and vitality, but also the abundance of nature. He suggested that greater international exposure to peonies and their cultural significance could be achieved through artworks and themed exhibitions, helping to foster cross-cultural understanding.

This year's Heze peony forum, themed "Blooming Across the World, Cultivating Shared Beauty", brought together experts and scholars from different countries to explore strategies for the international communication of peony culture.