The nation’s dancing-lady orchids have long been favored by Japanese flower enthusiasts, but a new orchid variety called the “honey angel” is beginning to win the hearts of Japanese consumers and could be a new export star for local farmers.
Orchids account for 78 percent of Taiwan’s total flower exports and the dancing-lady orchid species, more formally known as Oncidium Gower Ramsey, is the main variety grown for export.
About 21 million flowers of the species, or 90 percent of total exported shipments, are sent to Japan every year, according to Council of Agriculture (COA) figures, but the dancing lady may one day face a challenge for supremacy from a young, more romantic upstart.
Dancing-lady orchids, also known as dancing-doll orchids, are generally yellow with chestnut- colored stripes and look like a girl wearing a ruffled skirt.
The honey angel variety is also part of the Oncidium genus, but does not have the chestnut stripes and appears pure yellow to the naked eye. When seen under artificial light, however, it has a romantic fluorescent green aura, hence its nickname “honey angel,” said Chen Wen-chin (陳文懃), director-general of the Taiwan-based Chinese Development Association of Oncidium Production and Marketing.
About 200,000 honey angels were exported to Japan last year, and Chen predicted the total will soar to 2 million next year.
He said he bought 1,000 potted “honey angels” from Japan five years ago when the variety was relatively unknown in Taiwan, and then started selling them to Japan during the winter at triple the price of the dancing-ladies.
Drawn by the high unit price, more Taiwanese farmers began cultivating “honey angels” and found the flower to be heat and transportation resistant and a perfect fit for Taiwan’s warm and tropical weather, Chen said.
Once cut, the flower can last for up to three weeks, a week longer than the Gower Ramsey variety, making it a favorite in Japan.
Chen said Pingtung County has become the center for honey angel planting because of its excellent climatic conditions during the winter and spring, when the flower is in especially short supply in Japan.
The council said it is also planning to promote the honey angel orchid in China by leading a promotional delegation of orchid farmers to several major Chinese cities, including Tianjin, Beijing and Shanghai, in December.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS