Chinese documentary team travels 7,000 kilometers to capture rare Muş tulips

MUŞ

A four-member documentary team from China has traveled nearly 7,000 kilometers to eastern Türkiye to document the blooming of the rare Muş tulip, an endemic flower that transforms the vast Muş Plain into a vivid sea of red each spring.

The Muş tulip, officially registered in 2015 under the name “Muş 1071” by the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, has increasingly drawn international attention from photographers, botanists and filmmakers for its striking beauty and historical significance.

The Chinese crew, working under the documentary project led by the World Tulip Society, spent days filming the tulips in bloom as part of a broader effort to trace the flower’s historical and geographical roots.

Joining the project was Dutch landscape photographer Albert Dros, who has spent more than 15 years documenting tulips across the world, from China to Kyrgyzstan and now Türkiye.

Dros said the Muş tulips stood out for their vivid colors and natural beauty, describing the trip as worthwhile despite the long journey.

“The aim of this project is to document the tulip’s story, its history, where it grows in the wild, and perhaps where it originally came from,” he said, noting that the work will contribute to international exhibitions and publications.

Chinese content creator Zongzong Yang, visiting Türkiye for the first time, said the documentary will be shared widely across Chinese social media platforms, helping introduce the flower and the region to millions.

Beyond the tulips, Yang praised the hospitality of local residents and the region’s cuisine, describing the experience as unforgettable.