Archive · 14 Aug 2026
Chinese Man Builds World's Largest Hollyhock Garden for Wife
A man in China did something very sweet for his wife.
His wife remembered loving pretty flowers called hollyhocks when she was a little girl.
She remembered them growing in Beijing, where she grew up.
Her husband wanted to make her happy, so he decided to build her a giant garden of those flowers.
He had never grown flowers before, so he had to teach himself.
He even sold his house to buy the land for the garden.
For more than ten years, he collected seeds from places near and far.
Now his garden is the biggest hollyhock garden in the whole world, covering 80 hectares.
The couple take care of the garden together every day.
Many people online say their love story is beautiful.
Chinese man Zhou Xiaolin sold his house and taught himself gardening to build an 80-hectare hollyhock garden for his wife, Yin Jie.
The idea began in 2013 when Yin Jie mentioned her childhood memories of hollyhocks growing in Beijing.
The garden in Zhuanlong Town, Chengdu, Sichuan province is reported to be the world's largest and most varied hollyhock garden.
The couple, married for 35 years with no children, were called a 'dream couple' on a China Central Television show.
Their story gained traction on Chinese social media, where users praised the couple's outlook on life.
- Who
- Zhou Xiaolin and his wife Yin Jie, a couple living in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.
- What
- Zhou Xiaolin sold his house and spent more than ten years building what is reported to be the world's largest and most varied hollyhock garden to honour his wife's childhood memory of the flowers.
- When
- The idea began in 2013, and the garden was built gradually over more than ten years.
- Where
- An empty valley in Zhuanlong Town, Chengdu, Sichuan province, south-west China; the hollyhocks in question were remembered from Beijing.
- Why
- To honour Yin Jie's childhood memories of hollyhocks growing in Beijing and her love for the flowers.
- Garden size
- 80 hectares
- Location
- Zhuanlong Town, Chengdu, Sichuan province, China
- Idea began
- 2013
- Time to build
- More than ten years
- Years married
- 35 years
- Children
- None
- TV appearance
- China Central Television show; called a 'dream couple'
- Reported by
- South China Morning Post