The "capital" in the famous sentence "The capital is in bloom" refers to Chang'an.

1. The whole poem:

Appreciating Peonies

Tang Dynasty: Liu Yuxi

The peony demon in front of the court is unqualified, but the hibiscus on the pond is pure Little love.

Only peonies are the true national beauty, and they move the capital when they bloom.

Translation:

The peonies in the courtyard are gorgeous, but not elegant; the lotus on the pond is bright and clear, but lacks enthusiasm.

Only the peony is the real national color and the most beautiful flower. When it blooms, its grandeur causes a sensation throughout the capital.

2. According to the "Chronological Notes of Liu Yuxi", Liu Yuxi's collection of rafts clearly states that his writing background was Liu Yuxi's second visit to Chang'an in the Year of Yamato.

Only a few people understand it as the Yongzhen Revolution, but it was still in Chang'an. In terms of writing style, I don’t know how Liu Yuxi, who retired from the political vortex in his later years and lived in the Eastern Capital, could write such a high-spirited work.

At present, I have checked all the four complete annotations, and they all refer to Chang'an. In general annotations, Chang'an is mostly written or not written at all. In addition, Liu Yuxi's poems include the capital's poems, but none of them refer to Luoyang.

This short four-line poem describes three famous flowers, and it contains the poet's rich aesthetic thoughts.

The poet did not forget to praise the beautiful side of peony and lotus, but also highlighted the beauty of peony, which is endlessly interesting.

As flowers and trees, it does not matter the style or the amount of emotion, but the poet used personification and contrast techniques to cleverly and vividly turn the natural beauty into artistic beauty, leaving an unforgettable impression on people.