Official statistics released by Zhang's department showed that the province's area of floral cultivation had reached 85,406 hectares in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 6.7 percent - ranking 7th on the Chinese mainland and accounting for 6.15 percent of the country's total.

In 2017, the total value of Fujian's flower industry reached 64.25 billion yuan ($9.5 billion) and its flower export volume hit $120 million, up 14.9 percent and 15.5 percent, respectively, when compared with the figures recorded in 2016. Fujian's flower exports are second only to Yunnan province.

Fujian's potted plants, however, reached a value of $90.75 million in 2017, representing nearly 71 percent of the country's total and coming first on the mainland for the eighth straight year.

In Zhangzhou, bougainvillea has once become the major attraction to visitors during the 10th Cross-Straits Modern Agricultural Fair, which was held in the city in November.

Zhangzhou, which has a history of more than 100 years of planting bougainvillea, contributes more than 80 percent of Fujian's bougainvillea output each year, and has an annual production value of more than 1.5 billion yuan.