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Hydroponic tulips at a cultivation base in Yuecheng district, Shaoxing. [Photo/Tide News]

While tulips bloom naturally across Shaoxing's parks and roadsides, a base in Yuecheng district is cultivating the flowers in water, offering a different take on the spring spectacle.

At Shaoxing Lingyi Agriculture's hydroponic tulip cultivation base, rows of flowers thrive in flowing water instead of soil. "We've been busy since Spring Festival, with another peak around Women's Day," said base manager Ling Yi. Using hydroponic technology and a floating raft system, the tulips grow quickly in winter and spring, bloom earlier, and last longer than soil-grown ones, helping the base tap the peak holiday flower market.

During the peak sales season around Spring Festival, the base shipped 200 to 500 pots a day through its distributor network. So far, it has sold about 10,000 pots, with sales reaching around 1 million yuan ($144,910). Covering over 20 varieties, each pot ranges from 100 to 150 yuan.

From crowded parks to home decorations and urban waterfronts, tulips are becoming a highlight of Shaoxing's springtime economy.