Crocheted wool bouquets featuring Shanghai traditional wool-knitting techniques will be presented to award winners at the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. (Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn)

Crocheted wool bouquets will replace the traditional fresh flowers that are presented to award winners at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, according to a recent announcement by the event organizer.

The bouquets, which are made using traditional Shanghai wool-knitting techniques, are provided by Hengyuanxiang Group (HYX), one of the official sponsors of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Established in 1927, HYX is the company that inherited the Shanghai wool-knitting technique. It specializes in knitting, clothing, and wool.

The bouquet for medalists at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games is composed of seven kinds of flowers and features a bow ribbon on the handle with the words "Beijing 2022".

Li Meili, the inheritor of Shanghai wool-knitting technique from Hengyuanxiang Group, teaches trainees to prepare the bouquets. (Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn)

"The rose stands for friendship, the Chinese rose for perseverance, the lily of the valley for happiness, the hydrangea for unity, the laurel for victory, the sweet osmanthus for harvest, and the olive for peace," explained Gu Honglei, Party secretary of HYX.

Gu added that the bouquet for the Paralympic Games would also feature the calliopsis, which symbolizes freedom and eternal happiness.

According to Li Meili, the inheritor of the Shanghai wool-knitting technique from HYX, the traditional technique has a history of nearly 100 years and was first introduced to China's coastal cities from foreign travelers.

"It takes 20 minutes to knit a rose petal, and different flowers require different techniques. It takes up to 35 hours to complete one bouquet," she said.