Orchid Village

　　The orchid is one of China’s top ten famous flowers and holds a high status among blooms. Lanxi is known as the hometown of orchids in China, and the orchid is the city flower of Lanxi. To promote the traditional orchid culture of Lanxi, the Orchid Village was built at the foot of Lanyin Mountain, where Emperor Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty once inscribed the words “In the Deep Shade of Orchids.”

　　Orchid Village is a culturally rich urban theme park and also an orchid cultivation base. The architectural style of the village highlights the orchid theme, featuring small bridges over flowing water and pavilions for performances. The villagers grow orchids all around their homes. Strolling through Orchid Village feels like visiting a farmhouse courtyard in the Jiangnan water towns, or stepping into the serene depths of Lanyin Mountain where the fragrance of orchids lingers.

　　The orchid, with its graceful and elegant leaves, its delicate and refined blossoms, and its noble and pure character, brings joy to the heart and uplifts the spirit. Since ancient times, it has been a favorite of poets and scholars. Confucius once said, “The orchid should be the fragrance of kings.” With the improvement of people’s living standards, orchids have now moved from the palaces of emperors and nobles into ordinary households. Today, orchid cultivation has become a widespread practice in China, with countless enthusiasts. Some even go beyond treating orchids as ornamental plants or tools for beautifying the environment and cultivating one’s character—they have developed it into an industry that promotes Chinese orchids to the world. In any case, Lanxi, known as the “hometown of orchids in China,” where the stream is named after the orchid and the town after the stream, is a place we all long to visit.