Nanyang or Wan as it was called in ancient times, is a city in Henan province. The city stands at 32 degrees 17 minutes - 33 degrees 48 minutes north latitude and 110 degrees 58 minutes - 113 degrees 49 minutes east longitude.

The city is located in a transitional region between the subtropical zone and warm temperate zone and is a watershed for the Yellow, Huaihe and Yangtze rivers. Its fertile soil coupled with the moist climate and abundant rainfall has enabled it to be one of the best areas in China for the cultivation of roses.

Nanyang roses shimmer in the sun. [Photo by Jing Dexiao]

For China, Nanyang is an important germplasm bank of Chinese roses. According to statistics, there are more than 2,000 species of roses preserved in Nanyang, including 500 varieties that are widely used in production.

In recent years, Nanyang has been making full use of its rose culture and ecological environment advantages to boost its rose industry. It has become the largest rose breeding and production base in China. With planting areas of 100,000 mu(66.67 sq km), Nanyang produces 800 million seedlings annually which generate an output value of 2 billion yuan ($302.57 million) every year. There are 466 enterprises which employ 100,000 people within the rose industry.

Nanyang's wide variety of rose categories include that of the grandiflora roses, floribunda roses, miniature roses, climbing roses, ground cover Roses and Rosa chinensis Jacq. Rose chinesis Jacq is a new species cultivated in Nanyang.

A bird's-eye view of a rose planting base in Nanyang.

The city grows more than 1,200 rose species, ranging from white, yellow, orange to pink, red and mixed colors. The native rose flowers are usually in bigger sizes, as some of their size can reach 16 cm. They grow quickly and hybridize easily, allowing Nanyang roses to enjoy a bigger market share in China.

Under the guidance of the city's leading players in the rose industry, such as the Nanyang Chinese Rose Base, Nanyang Rose Cooperative and Nanyang Rose Group, the widely planted roses have seen rapid development in terms of the professionality and standardization of the production process.

Nanyang has become China's largest rose seedling breeding base. Its roses are sold in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities nationwide and exported internationally to Japan, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Russia. About 80 percent of the roses in domestic market and 70 percent of China's rose exports come from the city.

Two gardeners work in a rose planting base in Nanyang.