An old woman picks a rose from a farm in Bulgaria. (Photo : Reuters)
Beijing women were introduced to the rose culture of Bulgaria in a special talk held at a bookstore in Beijing. Oil and water from the fragrant plant are used in many beauty products.
Diplomat and writer Tian Shihong was invited to speak about the rich culture of roses in the Balkan country of Bulgaria to select female customers at the Beijing bookstore. Tian was the former secretary for the Chinese embassy in Bulgaria and is a current official at the Bulgarian Embassy in China.
The diplomat began her talk with a short film on the history of Bulgaria and the country's landscape.
According to the film show, Bulgaria is famous for being called the "Rose Kingdom" and is known in other countries as the "Garden of God." Legend has it that when God gave away land to be occupied, he forgot to hand one to the king of Bulgaria. Upon realizing his mistake and with the king's reminder of what happened, God presented him with a garden.
Meanwhile, another legend says that God himself moved the Balkan Mountain, the Black Sea and the Danube River to make space for Bulgaria. With the territory being surrounded by such rich environment, it added to the country's rich resources that help them grow big and aromatic roses.
The diplomat talked everything about roses in Bulgaria based on what she learned during her time in the country and personal experiences.
According to Tian, the country's rose industry goes way back hundreds of years and has been widely popular in other nations. Some go all the way to Bulgaria to experience the wonderful rose culture it has.
With the nation's strategic location in the Balkans and Danube, the country is able to produce roses of different varieties and sizes for all uses.
Aside from the flowering plant, Bulgaria is famous for its rose oil and water, which is often used in perfumes, soaps, lotions and other beauty products for their health and beauty benefits. In fact, the water from the plant could fetch as high as $1,000 per kilo. Meanwhile, the oil, sometimes called "liquid gold," could get as high as $8,000.
After Tian's talk, different products with rose oil such as rose jam, rose lotion, rose soaps and rose waters were presented to the audience. They later had the chance to buy the products after the presentation.
