Following Japan's 50-year occupation of Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, the fact that the art of flower arrangement was originally Chinese was not common knowledge. Just over ten years ago, however, a group of high-society women, scholars, and Japanese-style flower arrangement instructors began poring over old texts to uncover the roots of this ancient Chinese art. The result was the founding of the Chinese Floral Arts in Bloom

　　The efforts have contributed greatly toward achieving a rebirth of the study of Chinese flower arrangement. It has held yearly exhibitions in Taiwan, and has toured various locations in the United States and Europe. There are two categories of them: traditional uses of flower arrangement for festivals and religious occasions, and different varieties of flowers used in Taiwan throughout the year.

　　Since ancient times, flower arrangement in China has been a popular form of artistic expression. Its evolution into an art form began during the Han dynasty, when it was used as religious decoration on holidays. Flower arrangement became especially popular during the Tang dynasty, when the scope of the art extended considerably. Corsages became common, as did bouquets for festive (but not necessarily religious) occasions. The spiked-bottom pans still common today, which allow precise positioning of stems, became widely used at this time. It was customary for members of the literati to be trained in four important arts: the tea ceremony, painting and calligraphy, incense burning, and flower arrangement. Relatively inexpensive, flower arrangement remains today a beautiful means of bringing art into everyday life.

　　During the Tang dynasty it was customary for families to honor their ancestors with bouquets of this sort on Tomb Sweeping Day.