Fresh roses grown in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in China’s Gansu Province can reach vases in Almaty, Kazakhstan within just 48 hours. Thanks to new agricultural technologies, streamlined customs procedures, and cold-chain transportation, Linxia — a region not traditionally known for flower production — has in recent years been rapidly developing its cut-flower industry with the ambition of becoming a “flower capital.”
At the Yinong Flower Port production base, 10 varieties and 8 colors of roses are cultivated year-round. With a daily output of 180,000 stems and an annual production exceeding 60 million, the roses are sold both in major Chinese cities and exported to Central Asia. Shipments to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan via cold-chain logistics stand out for their long vase life and high quality. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 1.5 million stems were delivered to the region.
In July, Gansu Huazhizhou Trading opened a warehouse in Almaty with the aim of expanding into the Russian and Eastern European markets. Local authorities are providing technical support to help Linxia roses reach broader domestic and international audiences, and this initiative is expected to enhance cultural exchange between Chinese flower culture and Central Asian horticultural techniques.