Twenty kilometres southeast of central Kunming, in the suburb of Chenggong, Dounan is the largest cut-flower wholesale market in Asia. Around 1,500 tonnes of roses, lilies, gerbera, carnations, and chrysanthemums change hands here every day, sourced from the flower farms that have replaced rice paddies across the surrounding plain.
The interest for a visitor is the evening auction, where wholesalers bid on flowers using a Dutch-style descending-price clock. The market itself runs both wholesale and a retail floor, and ordinary visitors can wander through and buy bouquets at a fraction of city prices. Best after 5 p.m.; bring change.