 The flower has also been proposed to be one of the national flowers for the People's Republic of China.The "mudan (Paeonia suffruticosa)" was referred to as the "national flower" of China during the Ming and Qing era.It was still recognised by many to be the national flower during the Beiyang government era, amidst calls to designate other flowers such as the "Chrysanthemum" to be the national symbol.