The Southern Song Dynasty book  Menglianglu ("A dream of sorghum") how Linan City had a thriving flower business, the people wearing flowers throughout the year and also buying flowers to take home and arrange as decorations. In the Southern Song period flower markets sold peach blossoms, si xiang, Winter daphne, Aucklandia lappa etc. and in spring; in summer, jasmine flower, sunflower, pomegranate flower and common gardenia; in autumn, jasmine flower, orchid, sweet osmanthus; and in winter, Hong Kong hawthorn flower, plum blossom, orchid, Winter daphne, narcissus and wintersweet flower. Showing how great the variety of flowers was all through the year. Taking spring flowers as an example, Menglianglu  describes how “all flowers are in bloom” in March, including peony, climbing rose, crabapple flower, China rose, azalea, bauhinia, haraella retrocalla orchid, rhododendron simsii etc.    
The calls of flower sellers rang out across the city; most of these flower sellers were women. The women of the Southern Song period loved flowers and Southern Song scholar Hong Mai told the story of a beautiful Linan flower seller surnamed Zhou. The Zhou family, who lived next to Fengle Bridge in Lin-an, had a daughter who was extremely beautiful and when she sold flowers in the market people would open their window to look at her when they heard her call. As lovely as a flower she did good business. People took the flowers home to admire them or play with them or cooked with them, showing how leisurely and plentiful the lives of the ordinary people of Linan were. The flower sellers did even better business at festival time. Wherever there was a market there would be people selling flowers. A poem tells how farmers sold the flowers they grew themselves.

Jumping forward to the Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan, in the Taisho period (1912–1926) the Wu family of “flower land” Tianwei, made growing flowers their occupation. In 1973 Tianwei a plan to establish the “flower highway” horticultural special area in Tianwei was implemented. After two years of work, the highway was lined by beautiful flowers and trees for the public to admire. Today a large quantity of flowers are grown on the flower highway, which is the top flower growing area of Taiwan. The flower gardens that line the highway have numerous kinds of flowers and attract large numbers of visitors at weekends and holiday times. Actually, this is a situation that has existed for decades. In 1969 a large number of brightly colored flowers were planted by the locals making Tianei a riot of color, attracting many visitors. （Note 1）The main reasons for the formation of the flower highway were the fact that is has a “Spring all year round “ climate and the soil is fertile and ideal for growing flowers. . Whether sold domestically or exported the flowers grown were of high economic value. To provide guidance to local flower growers a flower garden area was established in Tianwei specializing in the growth of various kinds of chrysanthemum. As well as growing flowers the flower growers also grow seeds and potted plants. (Note 2)）The seedlings that have just started to grow in the specialized chrysanthemum area need suitable watering and fertilizing and when they plant gets bigger,  are protected from wind and rain by being covered with nylon net. An electric sprayer is used to spray the flowers to protect them from pests. To lengthen the time the flowers are exposed to light, allow the flowers to grow in a balanced way and make them bloom at the same time the nurseries are illuminated using electric lights. This cultivation methods means that chrysanthemum can be viewed all year round. The flower growers have formed a fresh flower cooperative and every day flowers grown in Tianwei are exported to Hong Kong and Singapore, bringing in a substantial amount of foreign currency (Note 3).

Tianwei’s 100 Flowers Cycle Path (note 4)

The flowers of Tianwei Highway Garden are alive and bloom at different times. Choose a potted plant in season and the quality will not only be good, the price will be low. Choose flowers in season and fill your house with the pleasing and invigorating fragrance of fresh flowers. January cut flowers: tulip, freesia. potted plants–narcissus, potted orchid; February cut flowers：kangaroo paw, snapdragon. Potted plants- New year’s orchid, kumquat, pineapple flower; March cut flowers：peach blossom, gerbera. Potted plants: butterfly orchid, centipede tongavine, azalea；April cut flowers：delphinium, lisianthus. Potted plants - verbena hortensi, creeping fig; May cut flowers：peruvian lily, carnation, elephant ear. Potted plants：scarlet sage, cactus；June cut flowers：baby's breath, flamingo flower, dianthus. Potted plants: den orchid, Fancy-leaf caladium; July cut flowers: statice, sunflower. Potted plants: Malabar chestnut, garden croton; August cut flowers: Siam tulip. Potted plants: African violet, hippeastrum rutilum; September cut flowers: oncidium orchids, ironweed. Potted plants-ornamental chili pepper, ferns. October cut flowers: bird of paradise flower, night-blooming jasmine. Potted plants: hardy begonia, heartsease；November cut flowers: lily, stock. Potted plants: Fairy Primrose, slipper orchid; December cut flowers: hybrid gladiola, wall iris. Potted plants: poinsettia, cyclamen.

Cut flowers is the general name given to flowers, flower branches and leaves cut from plants. They are the materials used in flower arranging or for making bouquets, flower baskets and wreaths and other flower decorations. As the name suggest potted plants are flowers in pots, either real flowers or imitation ones; potted plant usually refers to living things plants, such as bonsai, water culture, flowers and grass.

Tianwei Highway Garden has diversified business in recent years and as well as selling flowers and potted plants, also provides meals, including delicious European style dishes and various creative dishes made using flowers, giving flower growers an extra source of income. The success of the local flower industry has had a cluster effect and a number of other businesses, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, education, transport etc., have opened creating a prosperous business district. The flower industry fills the air of Tianwei with the fragrance of flowers and has won it the sobriquet “land of flowers.”