Chinese Man Builds World’s Largest Hollyhock Garden Inspired By Wife’s Childhood
A husband transforms his wife’s childhood memory into a giant garden.
A Chinese man has transformed an empty valley in Chengdu, Sichuan province, into an 80-hectare hollyhock garden inspired by a childhood memory shared by his wife. Zhou Xiaolin began the project after his wife, Yin Jie, spoke about the hollyhocks she remembered from her childhood in Beijing. What started as a personal gesture has developed into what has been reported as one of the world's largest and most diverse hollyhock gardens.
The idea took shape in 2013, when Yin recalled how much she loved seeing hollyhocks during her childhood. Zhou, who had no previous experience in gardening, decided to create a garden where she could enjoy the flowers again. He sold his house, purchased land in Zhuanlong Town and began teaching himself how to cultivate hollyhocks, gradually turning the unused valley into a sprawling flower-filled landscape.
Over more than a decade, Zhou collected hollyhock seeds from different places in China and abroad, expanding the variety of flowers grown on the land. He and Yin now spend much of their time caring for the garden themselves, surrounded by flowers and their pets. Their unusual project has become a reflection of their shared life and the importance they place on companionship, nature and personal happiness.
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The couple, who have been married for 35 years and do not have children, gained wider attention after appearing on a China Central Television programme, where they were described as a “dream couple,” according to the South China Morning Post. Their story has since attracted interest on Chinese social media, where users have praised Zhou's decision to devote years to fulfilling a simple wish expressed by his wife.
The garden has also become a symbol of the couple's approach to life, with their story resonating with people who value experiences and companionship over conventional measures of success. Social media users praised the couple for building a life around something they both enjoy, rather than focusing solely on financial achievement or traditional family expectations.
For Zhou and Yin, the garden represents more than an extensive collection of flowers. It grew from a childhood memory and became a decades-long shared project that now shapes their everyday lives. Their story has attracted widespread attention because of the personal meaning behind the garden and the years of effort Zhou devoted to turning his wife's recollection into a place they could enjoy together.
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