Ode to the Peony

啊~啊~牡丹~百花丛中最鲜艳！
(Ah~ah~Peony~the most radiant among all flowers!)
The song of the peony (牡丹之歌) by Jiang Dawei (蒋大为), 1980

At dawn on June 1st, 250 of 800 peony plants were found vandalized, cut down, in the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden of the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum.

While the police is actively investigating the incident, they have confirmed that the vandalization was done as a form of political protest related to the middle east. The Arboretum has released a statement to the community, saying “this resilient garden endures. The roots remain strong, and the garden will bloom again. And we will continue to honor this space and all that it means to those who find peace and joy here.”

I was shocked by this news on Sunday morning, and visited the garden later in the afternoon. It made me sad and angry seeing hundreds of blossoms cut down, yet it made me comforted to realized that the other half of the peonies are standing strong and beautiful while hundreds of Ann Arbor residents are there, appreciating their resilience and showing their support to the community.

The Peony Garden carries special meanings for me. I had not known about the place until the summer of 2023, but it became the favorite place for me and my family in AA. It is a spiritual sanctuary where you connect with the nature and share energy to grow strong.

The main species, peony, also make things special. My home back in Beijing is close to somewhere called 牡丹园(Peony Garden), where the same-name subway station is where I came home to every day. So, peonies are blooming in two of the most important town I have lived in. In addition, it’s needless to point out what Peonies represent in Chinese culture, Prosperity and Harmony.

Finally, a short message to my anger and confusion on vandalizing flowers as a protest:

Attacking something that most people love and cannot fight back is not realizing your goal. I may understand the metaphor and irony that were implied (e.g. flowers can bloom again, yet human lives cannot). What confused me most is that, flowers are used as spiritual symbols for all kinds of ideologies across the spectrum: Rose, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Sakura, Tulip, Sunflower, Edelweiss, etc… No matter what message is expressed, an ALIVE and/or blooming flower is used, while the choice depends on the color, shape, and cultural/botanical situation. The “Flowers will bloom again” nature is used exactly as a symbol for whoever’s resilient ideal. Not the other way.

Let me again quote the director of the Arb, Tony Kolenic: “The roots remain strong, and the garden will bloom again.”

P.S. This is a special episode of Music and Society for the Peony, we will talk about more songs of flowers next time.