Stretching along for 300 meters, Laitai flower street is on Maizidian Road, east of the Lufthansa Center, Chaoyang District. The street is lined with florist shops whose wares are displayed through wide-paned French windows, and it is thus imbued with a distinctly European flavor. There is a wealth of flowers in the full spectrum of colors both inside and outside these shops, no matter what the season. Here, flower lovers can pick from an almost limitless range -- roses, lilies, chrysanthemum, forget-me-nots, American aloes, tuberoses and sunflowers. Some flowers are air-freighted in from Kunming, Yunnan Province, and others are grown in the neighboring districts of Beijing. The street has become the flower trade hub in North China since it opened in September 2001.

In front of the Ziteng shop, Miss Han is trimming roses. She tells me that the peak selling periods are festivals such as Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Christmas, when the daily sales volume may reach 4,000-5,000 yuan. Most Chinese customers buy roses and chrysanthemums, while foreigners prefer roses, sunflowers and lilies. "Foreigners are experienced buyers and tactful bargainers," smiles Miss Han.

The business-savvy flower shop bosses are mostly from Hongqiao and Xiushui, two bustling bazaars in Beijing. They believe there is a fortune to be made on this street, which neighbors an international business tower block, an international school, and a soon-to-be-built embassy district. Although business is still slow, four months after the opening of this street, a great deal of hope is placed on the potential trade from buildings currently in construction nearby.

Artificial flowers are also available on this street. The shop next door to Ziteng trades in dried and fabric flowers. Seaweed, yulan magnolia, calla and Japanese cherry blossom, all made of gauze, glisten under the soft lights of bars and cafes, and the artificial apple trees, maize, and peppers make attractive decorations for teahouses, restaurants and apartments.

The shops also sell flower vases of various shapes and colors. Some hand-made clay pots mimic the European style, and among the more traditional-style pots are those in the shape of a ding (a cooking vessel in ancient China). The prices of these pots range from just a few yuan to 700 or 800 yuan.

There are unexpected discoveries to be made here, for example, a tapestry store, dealing in traditional embroidered handicrafts, and stalls trading in straw plaited and woven goods. Each customer entering the Xinxin Flower Store is pleasantly surprised by its decor, as well as its actual merchandise. Its walls are decked with old carved wood window shutters, purchased in the South China countryside, an ancient ceramic vase has pride of place on the flower shelf, and a zheng (a traditional Chinese stringed music instrument) is displayed on a wooden Qing Dynasty chair. The proprietress tells me that apart from at peak trading seasons, she spends most of her time talking with customers about her old but comfortable furniture. Taking a sip of tea from the cup she has given me, I feel I have left the bustle and stress of modern life, and returned to calmer, less frantic times.