A horticultural organization in China has launched an online poll on whether to designate the peony as the country’s national flower.

“Experts all agree that our country should (follow) ‘one country, one flower’ and endorse the peony,” reads the introductory text of the China Flower Association’s poll, which opened for public voting on Monday and closes Friday. According to the association, the peony is the best choice to represent China because of its domestic origins, ties to the Tang dynasty, and “auspicious” symbolism representing “national stability, prosperity, and political integrity,” among other justifications.

The association cites the upcoming 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China as the impetus for the initiative. The gesture coincides with another act of floral patriotism — a five-month flower festival currently underway in the nation’s capital — as well as other commemorations in the country, including a prisoner amnesty order and a smattering of party-friendly films. (Image: VCG)