What happens when the flower that symbolizes your city only blossoms for a few weeks every year? Some people in GuangZhou have been preoccupied by this question especially since the Asian Games during which communication campaigns bombarded us with flowery references and launched the idea that china’s third largest metropolis is in fact a “city of flowers,” a green haven.

Guangzhou’s “city flower” has been the Kapok since 1932 in memory of the fallen heroes of the revolution. It flowers for a few weeks each year in April and May and is admittedly one of the city’s most beautiful natural assets. So why some people would choose to diminish its significance by sharing its title with another species of flowers has left many citizens bemused.

Li Zuoqi, the curator of Chen Clan Academy, defends the need for a new city flower and explains that it should have the following features – long florescence, be easy to plant in large numbers and become a tourism resources. He believes that magnolias would be a good choice. Other people also recommend Bougainvillea Glabra and Osmanthus Fragrans.