Miyi Orchids

Miyi Orchids

　　Miyi Orchids inherit the spiritual essence and physical grace of China’s orchid family. Evergreen year-round and fragrant in all seasons, they are elegant, refined, and gracefully shaped. Their color, fragrance, form, and charm possess unique characteristics—suitable for appreciation, poetry, culinary use, medicinal purposes, and development. They are truly a wonder of the Panxi region. 　　《China Orchids》 and 《Gardens & Flowers》 report: Located in the ancient Panxi continental rift zone, Miyi sits within a key area of the “Kangdian Ancient Land Primeval Plant Community,” characterized by high-altitude, low-latitude, subtropical “vertical climate.” This makes it highly suitable for the propagation of various ornamental plants. The county boasts a rich diversity of native orchid species, including not only cycad orchids, snake plant orchids, and cauliflower orchids, but also rare varieties such as iron-boned pure orchids, thatch-leaf orchids, vanda orchids, cinnabar orchids, tiger-head orchids, and spotted orchids. The leaves of Miyi Orchids are long and narrow, sturdy in nature—just as described in 《Erya Yi》: “The leaves resemble sedges, growing in deep forests and secluded valleys; when a light breeze passes, their fragrance wafts gently outward.” Their inflorescences are sheathed in bracts, standing upright or drooping; their colors range from white to yellow, with the exception of the dark purple of the black orchid, and they bloom at different times. Each flower’s lip petal showcases distinct lines, dots, spots, and halos, each displaying its own charm, embodying the elegance, purity, vibrancy, and uniqueness of the orchid family—making them top-grade among orchids. 　　　　　Miyi Orchids share a long history within China’s orchid legacy. The practice of cultivating them at home has existed for a long time. In the early 1980s, more than 30 varieties were introduced from other regions and cross-cultivated with local strains. To date, the county has tens of thousands of orchid plants (in pots) in gardens and on balconies, along with over 4,000 pots of precious Miyi Orchids. Just in Haita alone, there are varieties such as thatch-leaf orchids, cinnabar orchids, as well as mountain tea, azaleas, and primrose orchids. Farmer Zhang Fayi from Haita earns over ten thousand yuan solely from planting and selling orchids. Retired Miyi Railway Station employee Yang Zejun has more than 1,000 pots of orchids at home. 　　　　　Miyi Orchids received praise from experts at the 1990 Chengdu Orchid Exhibition. In response, Miyi County established an Orchid Association, which now has 151 group members and 62 individual members. In the autumn of 1991, the association held an orchid exhibition that brought together the arts of flowers, poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture, marking a prelude to the development of Miyi Orchids. A poem bears witness: Poetry, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, and orchid-scented herbs blend in splendor, Naturally exuding a subtle fragrance like a virtuous person. Confucius found virtue hidden where valleys flourish, And Wang Xizhi’s Preface gathers fragrance by islet and hill. Each branch shifts in grace like orchids west of Qiong, Each petal shines with radiance from the heart of China. The world admires fragrant herbs with shared reverence, While the east wind carries emotion across ten thousand miles. (Panzhihua)