YUNNAN, Southwest China — At 3 a.m., the Dounan Flower Market outside Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province is already in business.

Standing on wet concrete littered with crushed petals, Lou Shaohua loads the last crate of statice, small purple filler flowers used in bouquets, into a van. “These grass flowers have supported my family for 20 years,” she says.

Behind, vans line narrow lanes as boxes are lifted out and stacked in rows. Workers cut tape, check stems, and count bundles as buyers move quickly from stall to stall.

Dounan, Asia’s largest fresh-cut flower market, moves billions of stems each year, connecting growers across Yunnan with buyers nationwide. Last year, it recorded 13.48 billion yuan (about $1.95 billion) in transactions. Much of that business takes place overnight, before shipments head to cities across China by morning.

In the weeks before Chinese New Year, the busiest period of the year for flower sellers, Lou watches prices more closely. She plants early to meet holiday demand and adjusts shipments as orders rise and fall. “I won’t know how the year turned out until the final harvest in April,” she says. “If the weather holds and the timing is right, we can do well.”

Around her, other sellers share the same concern. “Grass flowers are still manageable,” says Chen Jin, nodding in Lou’s direction. “Roses are at the mercy of the weather. They can change from one day to the next.”

In recent seasons, growers here have dealt with warmer winters followed by sudden cold spells and heavy rain. Mild temperatures allow pests to survive, while damp air increases the risk of mold. A batch that looks strong in the field can soften by the time it reaches the market, lowering its grade and price.

That uncertainty coincides with changes in how flowers are sold. Livestream platforms and formal auction systems now move a growing share of stock, with digital price clocks ticking down and online hosts taking orders in real time. Buyers may never visit Dounan, yet their bids help determine the day’s prices.

Before, “you just followed the holiday calendar,” says Huang Huairen, a florist who buys regularly at Dounan. “The holidays are still here, but the rhythm is completely scrambled.”

With Chinese New Year approaching, Sixth Tone spent 24 hours in Dounan documenting how the market prepares for the busiest stretch of their year.

(Header image: Wu Huiyuan/Sixth Tone)