China's lack of an official "National Flower" has prompted 62 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering to call for the joint instatement of plum blossom and peony.

If you ask a Chinese person what the national wine is, you will no doubt be told it is Moutai. When asked what the national sport is, the answer will be table tennis.

But if you raise the question of the national flower, there is no definite answer.

To remedy this situation, 62 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering last moth called for plum blossom and the tree peony to be officially recognized as China's national flowers.

According to 88-year-old Chen Junyu, who initiated the proposal, more than 100 countries have an official national flower, but so far China is not one of them.

Chen said: "Chinese people are more interested in some imported species of flowers, and neglect the flowers originating in China. That is why I called for official recognition of our national flowers."

A member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Beijing Forestry University, Chen was the first person in China to raise the issue of setting a national flower, and first made the proposal more than 20 years ago.

In 1982, he suggested the country should set plum blossom as the national flower, a suggestion which fell on deaf ears.

This time, Chen is trying again with new vigour. With the Olympic Games in 2008 and the World Expo in 2010 to be held in China, he says setting the national flower is now an urgent issue.

China's increasing importance on the world stage, its rich culture, long history and abundant natural resources of flowers all demand a national flower be set, Chen said.

In Chinese culture, plum blossom represents perseverance and tree peony is a symbol of prosperity. Plum blossom is common in North China and tree peonies grow widely across southern areas.

The two flowers both originated in China and have a long history of cultivation. The flowers are widely known and appreciated by the Chinese people.

This time around, Chen's suggestion has won wide support from members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.