STORY: American man explores peony cultivation in China's "city of peonies"
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: May 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:32
LOCATION: LUOYANG, China 
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP 1 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher living in Luoyang, China
2. STANDUP 2 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
3. STANDUP 3 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI QINGDAO, Vice president of Chinese Peony and Peony Association
5. STANDUP 4 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
6. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI QINGDAO, Vice president of Chinese Peony and Peony Association
7. STANDUP 5 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
8. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
9. STANDUP 6 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
10. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
11. STANDUP 7 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
12. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
13. STANDUP 8 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
14. STANDUP 9 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
15. SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): YAN SANNI, Engineer at National Peony Garden
16. STANDUP 10 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
17. STANDUP 11 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
18. SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): YANG YINGYING, Guide at China National Flower Garden
19. STANDUP 12 (English): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
20. STANDUP 13 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher living in Luoyang, China
"Hello everyone. Today, I am here to witness the birth of new peony varieties. Let's go."

Luoyang, an ancient city in China's Henan Province, is known as China's "city of peonies".

STANDUP 2 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Take a look. Experts are busy working in the flower garden."

STANDUP 3 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Nice to meet you."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI QINGDAO, Vice president of Chinese Peony and Peony Association
"Nice to meet you."

STANDUP 4 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Are these all new peony varieties?"

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LI QINGDAO, Vice president of Chinese Peony and Peony Association
"These new varieties all have more advantages than our existing ones, mainly in terms of brighter colors or more intricate flower shapes. Welcome to the lab to see the specimens we have."

STANDUP 5 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Hello, teacher."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
"Welcome to the Luoyang National Peony Gene Bank."

STANDUP 6 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Thanks."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
"These are our dried peony flower specimens. You can see here we have 10 different types of peonies and 10 colors of peonies. Inside there are the peony seedlings we've cultivated."

STANDUP 7 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Wow, there are so many of them."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): LI MIN, Engineer at National Peony Garden
"We start with a seedling and then cultivate it into a full-grown plant. Once the roots are established, we transplant it into the soil outdoors.

STANDUP 8 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Now, let's move over here to see how they pollinate the peonies."

STANDUP 9 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Alright, I've changed into appropriate clothing. Let's begin pollination."

SOUNDBITE 6 (Chinese): YAN SANNI, Engineer at National Peony Garden
Look, it's already secreting some sticky substance on its stigma. It can use this to capture pollen. In order to prevent other pollen from landing on it, we can cover it with a bag.

STANDUP 10 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"I need to write its name down. The teacher says it's called 'Mei Gui Hong' in Chinese which translates to 'red rose' in English."
  
STANDUP 11 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"How many varieties of peonies do you have here?"

SOUNDBITE 7 (Chinese): YANG YINGYING, Guide at China National Flower Garden
"We have approximately over a thousand varieties of peonies. The normal flowering period for peonies is around 10 to 20 days."

STANDUP 12 (English): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"Wow, I had a very productive day today. I learned about how the peonies are bred and cultivated. And then I came to only some of the many places in Luoyang where you can see all the different kinds of peonies."

STANDUP 13 (Chinese): ERIK NELSON, American teacher in Luoyang
"I hope everyone can come to Luoyang to enjoy the peonies."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Luoyang, China.
(XHTV)